


Strange Bedfellows

by stella_bomb



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Drama, F/M, Lemon, Love Triangles, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-14
Updated: 2013-03-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 07:56:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 39,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/537230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stella_bomb/pseuds/stella_bomb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Natsu dismisses the possibility of having a girlfriend, Lucy fulfills her desires with someone else: Sting Eucliffe. A straight-forward love triangle. Primarily Sting/Lucy with some Natsu/Lucy. Lemons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not Possible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not usually into crack pairings, but will succumb to one every once in a while. I've got no idea why I latched onto Lucy x Sting. Maybe I like some blond on blonde action. The story is LOOSELY set around the Grand Magic Games. Takes place after chapter 261, but goes off into its own territory thereafter. Hope you enjoy, please review!
> 
> I do not own Fairy Tail and am not making money off of this.

Halfway through the Grand Magic Games, a fireworks show was to be put on in honor of the competitors. First would be a presentation of the competitors, a short break, and finally the fireworks show. Sting didn't care for pomp and circumstance, but all participants were required to be there at least for the presentation. He showed up to stand on the stage when it was his turn and immediately left.

On his way off of the podium, he bumped into her. That blonde celestial mage who was beaten badly by Minerva. She always seemed to be with Natsu, whatever her name was.

"Excuse me," she said formally, as she continued on her way.  
"You're in the way of the greatest mage of Fiore!" Lector bellowed out as the girl walked away.

Truthfully, Sting was the one who bumped into her. He did it purposefully because he would do anything to get a rise out of Fairy Tail. It was the consequence for having such weak trash! He decided that he would try get another rise out of her by telling  _her_  to get out of  _his_ way. Yeah, that'll get her red. But when he turned to the girl, she was already too far ahead of him. He could see her smiling as she joined her Fairy Tail friends who had just come off the stage, as if their little scuffle had meant nothing to her (which really pissed Sting off!). Natsu cheered happily at seeing the girl out and about following her injuries. Sting watched Natsu wrapping his arm over her shoulders.

Pfft! What's with all that buddy-buddy bullshit they keep pulling? No wonder they're so fucking weak. Especially that blonde, girl. Why is Natsu so happy to be around such a weakling?

Sting's mood soured pretty quickly after that. Seeing that girl, who had lost so badly, be so cheerful pissed him off. He decided to head for the the local bar along with Lector for a few drinks before the fireworks actually started.

After a few pints, Sting went out on the large deck on the second floor where only guild members were allowed. He took a seat at the back end of the deck. Leaning back against the wall of the building with his feet propped up on the table, waiting.

All the lights in the city were turned off, causing the crowd to cheer because it meant the show was beginning. Fiore's best firework crafters all gathered to create the largest, most vibrant colors the kingdom has ever seen! In addition to that, certain mages have trained specifically to help enhance the look of the show by adding effects, increasing the range, etc. They started with a few conventional fireworks, but then went into a showcase of all of the guild symbols of the participants. As the show went on, the fireworks took on three dimensional shape. The shapes and movements became elaborate, looking almost like a movie. Eventually the show got into highlights of the previous years. Sting had to laugh when the show included some of Fairy Tail's previous defeats. Still, the show was beautiful, complex, and magical. Everyone was in awe. Even Sting was impressed and isn't particularly interested in fireworks.

That's when he spotted her again. The blonde girl who was with Natsu, but this time she was alone. She looked up at the sky, amazed. She seemed very calm and peaceful. Her lips curving into a slight smile of delight. Sting watched her as she watched the skies. The colors of the fireworks lit of the delicate features of her face. After a few minutes, Sting saw her turn around, the smile on her face widening. At first he thought she was smiling at him, but soon realized that Natsu just walked onto the deck with a few drinks in hand. Natsu handed the girl her mug and patted her on her back. Natsu's blue exceed flew above them in excited circles. They talked excitedly over how cool the fireworks were. Sting watched Lucy as she smiled at Natsu, the look in her eyes as she looked at her friend unlike any he'd ever seen.

"Sting?"

Sting looked up to see Lector looking in him worriedly. It took Sting a while to realize he'd been staring at her and to a lesser extent Natsu. Or maybe it was the fact that Natsu was there drew him into looking at her. It was obvious she was someone special to him and it made Sting wonder why.

"What are you looking at?" Lector asked.  
"Nothing," Sting said gruffly as he stood up. "I'm going back to the room."

* * *

Lucy had been feeling someone's eyes watching her since the fireworks show. Based on her intuition, whoever was following her didn't have any hostility towards her. Even if this person was no danger to her, Lucy did want to know why she was being followed.

Natsu had been checking up on her ever since she got injured, but he hasn't been around lately because he's getting deeper into the competition. Lucy decided to act on her own without him. If the person wasn't hostile, then it shouldn't be much of an issue even if she was injured. Besides, she always had her keys in hand. She told Natsu what she planned to do, just in case something did happen to her. Natsu wished her luck in kicking whoever's ass she needed to kick. Lucy laughed.

With most of the town's people out to see the competition, it may help her narrow down who could be stalking her...That morning as the competition continued, Lucy decided to go around town. She could tell when she was being followed. She got a funny feeling in the back of her neck. If she could only draw this person out, she could confront him or her about what it is they want from her.

She headed for the library which she knew would be empty save for the librarian, with whom she'd gotten friendly because she came by so often. As expected, most of the streets were empty with everyone wanting to watch the games. She looked around her before she entered the building, but saw no one. She greeted the librarian as she entered, pulled a book from off the shelf, and sat herself at one of the tables close to the entrance. She'd been at the library a few times now and every time no one but herself ever came. If someone does come today, it will probably be her stalker.

Ten minutes passed, but no one entered. Lucy waited and waited, still nothing.

She had all but given up, when suddenly the door swung open. It was Sting Eucliff from Sabertooth. He looked straight at her as he entered. After a moment, he strode over to her and took the chair right next to her. He wasn't even going to hide that he'd been following her!

"What do you want from me?" Lucy asked coldly.  
"That's a rude way to introduce yourself to someone."  
"I already know who you are," she spat. "Your name is all I care to know."

Lucy's harsh words didn't deter Sting at all. He looked around the library then at the pile of books Lucy seemed to have accumulated.

"You're trying pretty hard to debunk the whole 'dumb blonde' thing, aren't you?" he said.  
"Your pick-up lines aren't working," Lucy replied, not even bothering to look back at him.  
"Feh! Like I would really want to pick up a dumb blonde like you."  
"Like I need to hear that from a man who wears a boa-lined vest," Lucy said rolling her eyes at him. "You do know that when a man sits close to a woman and leans over her that means he's interested in her, right?"

Sting looked at his positioning. It was true. He'd sat in the chair next to her and slowly made his way into her personal territory. His body leaned over her, his left arm rested on the back rest of her chair. It was a possessive position. "W-well! I just wanted to give you the opportunity to believe that someone as great as me was interested in the likes of you."

Lucy rolled her eyes again. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Sting sat back in his chair without taking his eyes of her. He took note of the faint smell of earthen fruit coming off of her. It lingered closely with the scent of burning embers. Natsu's scent.

Ever since the fireworks show, he couldn't stop thinking about the image of Natsu's arm slung around this girl's shoulders. He wondered what it was Natsu saw in her. Well, it was obvious that she was an attractive young woman. Cute facial features, impossibly curvaceous. However, the more he spoke with her the more he realized how much fun it was to mess with her. Sting was beginning to think that he'd like to see her more.

"Don't feel bad that you got your ass beat by Minerva," Sting said awkwardly. "She's pretty strong." He stood up and walked out of the library.

Lucy stared at the door for a few moments. "Was that supposed to be encouraging?" Lucy said bewildered. She looked over to the librarian who had seen the whole thing. The librarian only shrugged her shoulders.

* * *

After the library incident, Lucy wanted to get the thought of her interaction with Sting out of her mind. She convinced Natsu to go out for some drinks that night. They were the last people there by closing time. Everyone else from Fairy Tail were back at Honeybone. Even Happy had gone back early, hoping to get more time with Charle. It was late by the time they left for the inn. Natsu lead the way, with Lucy following closely behind.

Whenever they were alone, she'd wonder if she should confess her feelings to him. They were best friends, after all. And Natsu clearly cares about her as much as she cares about him. There was also the fact that she was incredibly attracted to Natsu. Despite his goofiness, she couldn't ignore his muscular frame or his handsome face. Even his ridiculous pink hair suited him.

But before she would act on her feelings, she would always be reminded that this was Natsu she was thinking about. He hasn't shown any inclination towards romantic relationships or physical attraction towards Lucy, or anyone for that matter.

Still, she was curious. Even if there wasn't an inkling of a chance, she wouldn't know if she didn't try.

"Hey, Natsu..." Lucy said quietly.  
"What is it?" Natsu replied.  
"Have you ever wanted a girlfriend?" she asked.  
"No."  
"Not even now?"  
"Nope."  
"Not ever?"  
"No. Why?"

Lucy groaned to herself. Natsu was so dense! There's no point in skirting around the issue. "I want to be your girlfriend, Natsu. That's why."

Natsu paused to look at her for a long time. She could tell something was not computing. Eventually a goofy grin spread across his face, but it was not the smile she was looking for. "Why would you want to be  _that_?" Natsu said laughing. "You don't belong to me or anyone!" He laughed some more and then slung his arm around her shoulders again. "We're  _friends_. Why would you want to be my girlfriend?"

Lucy only nodded, feigning agreement. Why would she want to be his girlfriend, she wondered.

For the rest of the walk back, Natsu behaved as though nothing happened. And perhaps nothing did happen. Natsu only confirmed something Lucy knew all along: Natsu wasn't interested in having a girlfriend. Never has and probably never will.

When they arrived at Honeybone, Lucy said she would come up to the room in minute. She needed to cool off a little longer. She took a seat on the bench outside of the inn. She leaned forward with her elbows resting on her thighs, her head hung a little low. She didn't feel rejected, but she did feel really disappointed and a little hurt.

"Oh well," she said to the night sky, wiping away the water in her eyes. "It was worth a try."


	2. Without Regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Fairy Tail and am not making money off of this.

Cana was Lucy's source for advice regarding men. After the dismissal from Natsu, Lucy told Cana all about it the next day. Cana, in turn, gave Lucy a sympathetic hug and said it was tough having feelings for the world's worst boyfriend prospect in all of Fiore. Cana suggested that the two of them go to a club to try and forget all of Lucy's troubles. There was bound to be plenty of men who'd be interested in taking Lucy out for the night.

And so they went off into the perilous world of the club scene. They drank, they danced, they beckoned to the hungry eyes of the males around them. Mages from all over Fiore were there, though not many Fairy Tail people were around. Most of the Fairy Tail mages preferred the bar scene.

It was a long night and Lucy was having a ton fun. She had nearly forgotten about Natsu. Cana also had a productive night. Lucy saw the card mage leave the room with a cute guy. Cana threw a thumb up at Lucy before disappearing through the doors.

Lucy smiled and Lucy grabbed another drink. She was more than tipsy, but she could hold her liquor. She was feeling good and loose, which meant she needed to get back on the dance floor. By then the place was crowded with tightly packed bodies gyrating against each other in unison. Smoke, alcohol, and sweat swirled in the musty air of the dark space. It was both uncomfortable and intoxicating at the same time.

She moved her way into the heart of the crowd and started dancing. Her body moved to the rhythm of the music instinctually She lifted her hands up in the air as she moved her hips, swaying from side to side. She didn't dance with anyone in particular, but it didn't seem to matter. She was feeling the music.

"I like the way you dance," said a male voice from behind her.  
"This is my song," she said turning to face him, but not really looking. She was too into the dancing.

He started dancing with her, uninvited. Lucy didn't stop him, though. He wasn't a bad dancer. He knew how to use his body, knew how to move with the music. She liked the strength of his hands when he touched her. They must have danced five songs together, though Lucy wasn't really care. The night was becoming a blur to her. Who she danced with, how many songs she danced to were all minor details to her. She was trying her best to enjoy the moment.

As the night approached closing time, a slower song played. Lucy was about to walk off the dance floor, but her dance partner snatched at her arm and pulled her close to him.

"Aren't you aggressive?" she said playfully.  
"I like what I see," he said in a low voice.

Did he just  _growl_? Lucy found herself somewhat enticed. Because she had spent so much time being interested in Natsu, she hadn't received  _this_ kind of attention in a long time. She had to admit she liked it. She loved having her physical attractiveness and desirability confirmed. That was something painfully missing in her interactions with Natsu. This man was doing well to cater to her more carnal urges.

They continued to dance until the club closed its doors.

* * *

"Oh man," Lucy groaned as she woke up.

She was feeling extremely groggy and her head hurt a little. She tried to look around for a clock. It was still dark in the room and her vision was blurry. Sure, she'd been drinking, but she hadn't had  _that_ much alcohol. Her body felt tired and really sore! Her hips especially felt like she'd used them all night. Was it all the dancing? She tried to get up, but was stopped by something heavy resting across her rib cage below her chest. Lucy made a silent gasp as she realized it was someone's arm!

Details slowly filtered in as her mind came out of its foggy state. She wasn't in the room at the inn. In fact she wasn't at Honeybone at all. There was someone sleeping next to her... This person was definitely a man. She could  _feel_ him against her. Lucy gulped as she lifted up the sheet to look down at her body. They were both naked!

"Figured it out, blondie?" said an annoyingly self-assured voice.

Lucy turned around only to face Sting Eucliffe. She screamed and pushed his face away from her. As he fell back onto the bed, she pulled off the bed sheet, wrapping it around her as she scrambled to the floor.

"Wh-what happened last night?" she said confused.  
"You got a little drunk, danced, and had sex with me." Sting said simply.  
"I did what?!"

Lucy turned away from Sting, trying to remember the events from the night before. Yes, she went out with Cana and they had some drinks. Cana left with some cute guy, but afterwards... Afterwards she started dancing with someone. She wasn't even sure at what point she realized it was Sting, but eventually she agreed to go back with him to his room... How did they get to the sex part?

"You're such a bad girl," Sting said rubbing his face. "Cheating on Natsu like that. I didn't think you had it in you."  
"We're not even together, how can I be cheating?" she snapped back at him."  
"Oh, so you were a virgin, then? I'm honored."  
"That's a perverted thing to say," Lucy said. "Besides I'm not-" Lucy stopped abruptly. Why was she even bothering to divulge this information to this guy?!  
"I didn't think you were a virgin. You sure didn't act like one."

Lucy blushed as the details of their encounter returned to her memory. It wasn't a bad experience, she remembered. Lucy shook her head. She needed to get herself together! So she got a little drunk and had sex with Sting. It was a mistake. She stood up and with as much dignity as she could muster and grabbed her clothing from off the ground and headed for the bathroom. She needed to change and get out of here.

"You don't want to go one more time?" Sting called out to her as she shut the door.  
"NO!"

* * *

Lucy snuck into Honeybone while everyone had gone to the stadium. She really wanted to take a bath, change, and head to the venue to cheer her team on...

Or maybe she'll go back to library to hide out. Thinking it over, she may not be able to face Natsu, Sting, or anyone for that matter. Yeah, maybe she will hide out for at least a day.

When Lucy entered the room she shared with Natsu, Erza, and Gray, she was surprised to see Erza sitting by the window polishing a sword.

"Hey Lucy," Erza said casually.  
"G-good morning." Lucy said stumbling. She walked over to her luggage to get a change of clothing.  
"I noticed you and Cana were gone last night," Erza said. "The club?"  
Lucy hesitated unsure of how much she wanted to reveal "Yeah."  
"Any luck?"

Lucy guessed Erza had heard from Cana about what happened with Natsu, otherwise she wouldn't have made that last comment. For some reason, the sympathy in Erza's voice got to Lucy and made her feel guilty. Last night, Lucy had forgotten about Natsu, but perhaps she wasn't ready to let go of her feelings for Natsu. Not entirely, anyways. Tears began to well in her eyes. Erza took notice of this.

"Lucy?" she said gently.  
"I... I made a mistake," Lucy whispered. "I went to the club and slept with a guy."  
"But that was the reason why you went out in the first place, right?"  
"I went with someone from Sabertooth. I don't even like the guy."  
Now this was a shock to Erza. "Sabertooth?" the red headed mage said, startled. "Who?"  
Lucy winced just thinking about it. The tears began to overflow. "Sting Eucliffe," she said burying her face in her palms in embarrassment.

Lucy cried steadily. Erza stood up to sit next to her friend and wrap a concerned arm around the blonde's shoulders.

"Just a few days ago we all vowed to kill him for laughing at you," Erza said. "That offer is still available."  
Lucy laughed weakly. "It was my mistake. He didn't do anything wrong, necessarily..."  
"What do you mean?"  
"It was my choice," Lucy said. "In fact, I don't regret it at all." Lucy paused for a second. "Does that mean my feelings for Natsu meant nothing?"

Erza couldn't answer that, of course. She's seen plenty of girls develop feelings for Natsu, also to no avail. Even Lisanna could be considered one of his casualties. That it happened to Lucy was no real surprise. Secretly, though, Erza had hoped that Lucy would be the one to get lucky. It was unfortunate that it didn't happen.

"Will you go see him again?"  
Lucy sniffled a bit and then scoffed. "It was just a one night stand."  
Erza thought about Lucy's words carefully. That wasn't exactly a  _no_  answer. "But if he did ever approach you again, would you go see him?"  
Lucy hesitated a little. "I… I don't know. I'm upset about Natsu..." Lucy started blushing. "But to be honest I enjoyed having sex with Sting."

Lucy's blunt words made Erza blush. On principle, Erza didn't like that Lucy had shacked up with Sabertooth, much less the biggest asshole of said guild. But she also doesn't blame Lucy for what she did. Lucy was disappointed and sought comfort somewhere else. It was a poor choice to do it while a little drunk, but it sounds like it wasn't a mistake Lucy regrets... Still,  _Sting Eucliffe_?

Erza decided she wasn't going to hate Lucy for it, though. Erza just couldn't bring herself to do that. She gave her friend a big hug.

"Please, don't tell Natsu..." Lucy whispered.  
Erza didn't like that idea. "I won't tell Natsu, for your sake. Nor will I stop you if you go see that guy again," Erza said pulling back to look Lucy in the eye. "Just be careful. I wouldn't go on expecting some kind of beautiful romance with him."  
"I won't."

Erza watched Lucy head to the bathroom to clean up and get changed. The scarlet haired mage decided to offer just a little damage control by requesting that she and Lucy get separate rooms from Natsu and Gray.

Lucy was walking into complicated territory now.


	3. A Fine Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemon scene!

Lucy wasn’t expecting to be reassigned a new room with Erza, but she was thankful that it was arranged. It’s been a day since her encounter with Sting and she’s been hiding out in her room since then. She had her meals at odd hours or ordered room service. Otherwise she stayed in, pretending to read or write, but really she couldn’t face anyone. Erza came into the room a few times. Lucy knew Erza was aware of what was going on, but Erza didn’t say anything. Erza even warded everyone away by saying Lucy wasn’t feeling well. How Erza managed to keep Natsu out was beyond Lucy. Lucy could hear him declaring loudly that he wanted to see his “ailing” friend. Lucy felt a little guilty.  
  
Still, Lucy couldn’t stay in the room forever. She didn’t necessarily have to go out to the stadium, but she needed to get out before she started getting stir crazy. She decided to check out the bookstore again, maybe buy a few more books.  
  
The next day Lucy left early in the morning to go to the bookstore. Everyone would be at the stadium again so she should be able to avoid most people she knew. She only got to the middle of the stairway leading to the main floor when her eyes immediately spotted a head of pink hair. She forgot Natsu was also a morning person.  
  
“Lucy!” Natsu exclaimed when he saw her. He ran up to her, stopping a few steps below where she was. It was a narrow staircase so there was no escape! “I heard you were sick! Are you okay?”  
  
Lucy looked into Natsu as he looked back at her, hopeful and concerned. Lucy could feel her yearning for him build up inside of her again. They were just so  _familiar_  with each other. They spent nearly every day with each other, looked out for each other’s backs. Her idiot of a friend. She wanted more from him, much more. But for Natsu, Lucy assumed, he wasn’t interested in that kind of relationship. It was a little painful to be here with him, yearning for him so badly, but knowing that these major desires of hers would go unfulfilled. Just the sound of his voice made her heart sink with a dread.  
  
“Hey!” Natsu said again, this time taking a few steps closer to her. He reached out and touched her on the shoulder. The feel of his hand against her bare shoulder made her skin tingle. “Lucy, I’m talking to you!”  
Lucy shook her head out of her thoughts. “Sorry, Natsu. I…” she hesitated. “I have been feeling a little ‘sick’.  I’m a little better now, though. I just wanted to get some fresh air.”  
  
Lucy took Natsu’s hand and held onto it tenderly. Part of her just wanted to indulge in him, this person who she’s liked for a long time. Another part of her was searching for something in his touch and in his expression. Was it really impossible for them? She had to try again.  
  
“You know I like you, right?” Lucy said, trying to be direct.  
  
Natsu looked at her for a moment, confused. Lucy watched him closely, trying to figure out what he was thinking or feeling. He seemed to think about his answer for ages.  
“Of course I know that!” Natsu finally replied with a  _yeah, duh_  expression on his face.  
“Do you like me?” Lucy asked.  
“Of course I like you! Aren’t we best friends?”  
  
Natsu’s expression didn’t change, didn’t give away any other feelings she’d hoped for. He looked at her the way he’s always looked at her: as his closest friend. But only as a friend. Lucy was beginning to give up. Maybe their relationship was never going to change.

“You’re right, we are best friends,” Lucy said with a disappointed sigh. She looked beyond Natsu to indicate that she wanted to leave, but he was blocking her way.  
  
Natsu stepped aside to let her through. The air that trailed behind her carried an unfamiliar scent, but one that Natsu felt he’d smelled before. It smelled like spiced rum.

* * *

When Lucy exited the building, she took a deep breath. She was not going to cry!

She headed straight for the bookstore to get her mind off of Natsu. Luckily, being at the bookstore provided her with something else to think about. Lucy loved the look of all those books lined up against each other. Sometimes she would fantasize about having a library of her own as big as this. She walked the isles, stopping at different subjects of interest: history, adventure fiction, the magazine rack. She always comes out with more things than she originally planned on buying, but right now she’d welcome any kind of distraction. She was browsing some of the travel guides when she felt someone approach her.  
  
“I’m guessing you like books,” said a now familiar voice.  
Lucy looked up at Sting, who was leaning against the other end of the bookshelf. She felt less annoyed than she thought she would. “Are you following me again?”  
Sting laughed lightly. His eyes never left her. “Yes, I am.”  
“What do you want from me?” Lucy said trying to sound annoyed, but finding that she just didn't have the energy for it.  
“I don’t share a room with anyone,” Sting told Lucy. “Even Lector stays in a different room with Frosh and Rogue most of the time.”  
“Yeah, so?” Lucy asked, even though she knew what Sting was getting at.  
“So if you want to continue what we started a few days ago, you’re free to come.”  
“That night,” Lucy breathed out “was a mistake. I made a poor choice.”  
“Is that so?” Sting questioned. “Then let’s look at why that was a mistake. I thought it was a mistake because you were Natsu’s girlfriend. But by the sound of it, you two aren’t together.”  
“We aren’t.”  
“When you and your friend were at the club, it was pretty clear that both of you were on the hunt.”  
“We were.”  
“So why do you consider it a mistake that you hooked up with someone when that was the reason why you went out in the first place?”  
“Because!” Lucy said, a little off guard. The response she wanted to give was because it was a mistake that she hooked up with  _him_ , but that was far from the truth. “Because I…”  
  
The answer she didn’t want to give him, the real answer, was that she still had feelings for Natsu and going out to have sex with some guy was not the best way to heal an aching heart. All Lucy wanted to do was forget about the past few days, not be interrogated about it. She felt a little flustered. She could feel tears push their way through from just thinking about that pink haired guy. She looked at Sting, who had been watching her carefully.  
  
“Look,” Sting said holding onto her wrist and pulling her towards him. “Never mind whether or not you think that night was a mistake. It’s simple for me: I’m attracted to you. I think you’re damned sexy and I want to have another night like that again.”  
  
Lucy looked at him surprised. Not because he wanted to hook up with her again, but because he sounded just vaguely encouraging. Even if he was obviously interested in just her body, his desire for her was earnest and straightforward. It was almost refreshing. She relaxed, but only just a bit.  
  
“Here,” Sting said handing her a single key. “This is to my room. You like keys, don’t you?”  
  
Lucy looked at him and then at the keys.  _Oh god, what am I doing?_  she thought as she took the key.

* * *

Natsu noticed that Lucy had been acting strangely. She hasn’t been around for the past few days. Earlier today, he was able to speak to her when she was coming down the stairs, but it was brief.  _That_  conversation was weird in and of itself. For Natsu, it was. Why was Lucy concerned about whether or not he liked her? Wasn’t it obvious that he did?

Natsu searched through Honeybone’s common area for Lucy. Only Wendy and Charle were there reading a book together.  
  
"Hey Wendy," Natsu said.  
"Hi!" she said cheerfully. "You look like you're looking for something."  
"Have you seen Lucy around?"  
Wendy and Charle exchanged glances with each other and then giggled. "She hasn’t been around all day" Wendy replied.  
"Do you know where she went?"  
"She didn't say," Charle replied.  
  
Lucy had been doing a lot of that lately: leaving the inn without telling anyone where she’s going. Natsu wouldn't see her in the crowds at the stadium and when he was competing. When he wasn’t competing he would couldn’t find her around town, either. Not even in the library or bookstore, which is where she usually could be found. Today he had the whole day free, but wasn't able to spend any of it with Lucy. It bothered him.  
  
It really bothered him.  
  
Natsu went on to spend the rest of the day glumly looking for Lucy to no avail. It wasn’t until that evening that he was able to catch her again.  
  
"Hey Lucy!" he said, putting effort into sounding cheerful.  
Lucy seemed to be distracted. "Oh… Hey, Natsu."  
"Where have you been? I've been looking for you!"   
"I've been around town."  
  
Natsu noticed that Lucy didn't look at him as she spoke. He also noticed how non-specific she was being. There was the possibility that she was hiding something from him, which is really uncommon for them. He didn't like that idea one bit.  
  
"Lucy, are you okay?" he asked, concerned.  
  
He watched the look on her face as she sat there in silence. He wanted her to tell him  _something_. Anything would be fine. He would be happy if something was wrong as long as she just came out and say it like she normally does. If she could just yell at him and hit him upside the head, he would feel at ease. But right now there was none of that. Lucy was acting real strange and Natsu couldn’t figure out why. It was like she was somewhere else. She might as well be in a different dimension from him.  
  
"I'm fine," Lucy said flatly. "I've just been having a hard time sleeping."  
"Oh." Natsu wondered if that was why she and Erza changed rooms. Was his snoring too loud?  
Lucy stood up and turned towards the stairs leading to the room. "I think I'm going to sleep early tonight."  
"Okay."  
  
Natsu watched Lucy walk up the stairs. That whole time she didn't even look at him. He stood there for a few minutes feeling really crappy. What was going on with Lucy?   
  
And why does she smell a little like spiced rum again?

* * *

Lucy stood near the entrance inside of Sting's room at the Inn Sabertooth was staying in. She snuck out after everyone else had fallen asleep. It was three in the morning. Sting invited her, she surprised herself by actually taking him up on that invitation. She thought that first night with Sting was a fluke, that she stupidly let him take advantage of her while she drunk and on the rebound from Natsu. It was a bad decision, she thought. Yet here she was again, standing in his room.  _This is just a fling_ , Lucy thought.  _I just want to have a little fun to distract myself from thinking about Natsu._

Sting was sitting back in a chair, he head tilted to the side as it rested against the palm of his hand. He had a cocky look on his face. Lucy hated it, though she had to admit it did suit him.  
  
"Back again, eh?" he said.  
"Obviously."  
"Liked it that much?"  
  
His cocky manner of speech really pissed her off, but she wasn't going to dignify him with a stutter.  
  
"I did like it," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm guessing you liked it too if you're willing to take a day off from competition."  
Sting only looked at her. It was true. He was scheduled to compete that day, but called out last minute when Lucy decide to come by. "C'mere." he said wanting to get down to business.  
  
Lucy walked over to him and sat in his lap. They kissed a very desirous kiss. He pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the ground. Lucy wore a plain black bra, today. Against her pale skin, the black bra seemed to draw even more attention to her large breasts. He grabbed them with both hands and nuzzled his face in between them. Using his teeth, Sting grabbed onto the edge of the bra, ripping it off her chest with the strength of his jaw.  
  
"Hey!" Lucy said "I'm going to need that later!"  
"No you won't." he growled, causing Lucy to blush at the idea of what that suggested.  
  
Sting laughed at the sign of her blushing. Part of it was because because he enjoyed embarrassing her and the other part was that she was damn cute when she blushed. He stood up, carrying her in his arms. He walked over to his bed and tossed her onto the mattress. Sting removed his clothing as he stood above Lucy. Sting noticed Lucy moving to remove the rest of her clothing. He quickly snatched her wrists to stop her. "Allow me." he said. Lucy was still wearing a skirt, black underwear, and stockings that went over the knees. Sting slid her skirt down with his hand. Getting onto the bed, he leaned over her and placed a soft kiss on the space between her bellybutton and the top of her underwear. His teeth prodded at the waistband. The feel of his breath against her skin as he did this gave Lucy goosebumps. Sting suddenly ripped off the garment with his teeth, something he really enjoyed doing much to her chagrin.  
  
He decided he liked her better with her stockings still on.  
  
“Mmmm…” Sting said in a low voice, admiring Lucy's natural curves. There were plenty of women in Fiore who were attractive and as curvaceous as her. But there was something about her combination of cuteness and sexiness that was really enticing for him. She looked at him with eyes that were both innocent, curious, and lustful. It drove him crazy to see the want in her face. He wanted to take her down and tear her apart.  
  
Sting pulled Lucy up and turned her around so that she was facing the headboard of the bed. She was upright on her knees and positioned a foot or two from the headboard. He tilted her forward so that she had hold onto the headboard for support. Her back curved just so as she did this and oh, it was a lovely curve. Sting positioned himself behind her, also on his knees. He swung a flat palm against the flesh of her rear end, causing a nice clean slapping sound. Lucy gasped, surprised at how pleasurable that felt.  
  
"Oh, do you like that?" Sting said mockingly. Lucy only glared at him, causing him to chuckle. "You know that only makes me harder..." he said in a low voice, pressing his groin against her backside.  
  
Sting ran a wet tongue from the base of back, up her spine, and to the back of her neck. The feel of the light touch of his wet tongue against the nerves along the spine made her whole body shiver. Certain spots along that line caused her to involuntarily squirm in pleasure. He was still on his knees, positioned directly behind her. He reached under her to lightly touch the lips protecting her clit. It was warm down there and he could tell she was really wet. He ran the tip of his index finger up and down the slit, letting the moisture reveal itself as he prodded the area without delving his finger fully inside. It was the light touches that got her excited. Each stroke was rewarded by a quiet moan or a deep sigh. After a few moments of this, he let his index finger gently stroke Lucy's clit before moving it into her opening. Lucy moaned in response, welcoming the feel of penetration.   
  
He wiggled his finger around before bringing it to his mouth to taster her. The thick discharge was both acidic and sweet. He fingered her again, only this time he stuck his wet finger in her mouth and kept it there.  
  
"You're nasty." he said.  
  
Sting withdrew his hand from Lucy’s mouth in order to put on a condom. He then guided his erect penis to her opening. He rubbed the head up and down her slit, allowing her wetness moisten the tip. Lucy responded with more moaning, moving her hips slightly in anticipation. With a satisfied smirk, Sting shoved himself completely into her.  
  
Using both hands he held onto the sides of Lucy's hips and moved it at a pace he liked. Lucy followed his pacing, enjoying the feel of him inside of her. For every moan Lucy let out Sting let out his own grunt and groaning.  
  
"Damn, you feel good." Sting said huskily.  
  
He leaned forward so that his chest pressed onto her back, one hand extended to the headboard to hold himself up for support. His pumping continued at a slightly faster pace. His other hand reached for her clit, which was incredibly sensitive right now. Lucy moaned loudly at his hard and fast movements. She tried to move with him, but she was so close that her hips and knees felt weak.  
  
"Oh... god..." she said gasping.  
"Are you close?" Sting said.  
"Probably as close are you are..." she said in a breathless challenge.  
"Oh yeah?"  
  
Sting pulled out. He turned her around and placed her on her back. Reaching over for her skirt, he tore at it until it became strips, which he used to tie her wrists above her head and to the posts of his bed. He used the extra strips to tie a gag around her mouth. Lucy didn't protest, but instead, looked at him curiously. Sitting up on his knees and ankles, he towered over her. He entered her again, watching her expression closely as he did so. Her face scrunched up in pleasure as he inserted himself slowly into her, his member harder than ever. He slid in and out of her a few times at a slow pace before picking up the speed. From this upright position, he had a perfect view of Lucy who was awash in the physical pleasure.   
  
"Look at you," he said, watching her breasts bounce up and down as he fucked her.  
  
Lucy moaned loudly, but the sounds were muffled by her gag.  
  
"Who's gonna cum first, I wonder?" Sting said as he leaned down to taste her nipples. He moved his head up to rest his face in the crook of her neck. He was going into a sensory overload of Lucy: the smell of her and her arousal swirled all around him, the feel of her soft body against him, moving again him. The room was warm and thick with the musty air of their union. His mind was focused solely on giving and taking pleasure from her. With each movement in and out of her, he sought push himself deeper and deeper into her.  He quickened the pace, but only just so. He could feel Lucy moving her hip underneath him. There was a way in which her legs squeezed around his hips that let him know that the pace was right for her.  
  
For whatever reason, he knew exactly what angle to position his groin against her so that her clit was being rubbed in just right way. The pleasure of his female partner was never something he was particularly concerned about, but he found that with Lucy he was especially attuned to her body's needs and preferences. And for some odd reason, it was satisfying to give it to her.  
  
Sting continued at this rhythm, feeling the tension build in Lucy. Her arms looked like they wanted to flail wildly, but were being held back by the ties. Her hips bucked against him as he felt his own tension build, but he wanted to force Lucy over the edge first.   
  
Lucy's legs tightened around him as she came, a loud muffled moan coming from her mouth. Sting continued to pump harder, this time at his own pace. The sensitivity of her clit in the aftermath of her climax caused her to convulse with pleasure as he moved against her. He went harder and harder, pushing himself further to the edge, groaning loudly as he climaxed.  
  
He lay on top of her, resting his head on her ample chest, breathing heavily. Feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest, he listened to her heartbeat slowly return back to a normal rhythm. It was an oddly peaceful moment.  
  
Sting stood up to throw away the used condom. When he returned, he untied lucy, dropping the tatters of her clothing into a pile on the floor. He stood by the bed watching her as she lay there, arms resting at her sides, hair disheveled, sweat glistening on her brow, her cheeks a little flush. Her legs were still slightly parted. She was a lovely sight indeed.  
  
Lucy stared at the ceiling.   
  
"What're you gonna to do now?" Sting asked.  
"I don't know." Lucy answered "I can’t exactly leave without clothing."  
  
She sat up to examine what was left of her shredded clothing. Sting laid back on the bed next to her and pulled her back to him.   
  
"Then stay," he said. "We can have sex all day."  
Lucy almost laughed. "We can't do that."  
"We can. I called out of competition today and you're pretty much useless to your team."  
"Gee, thanks," she said rolling her eyes. "People will wonder where I am."  
"Your team is not your babysitter. You can do whatever you want."  
"I'd be doing whatever  _you_  wanted if I stayed."  
"But you enjoy it."  
  
On this count, Sting wasn't wrong. "I won't deny that," she said rolling on top of him again, placing a light kiss on his lips.  
  
"Then stay," he said again, wrapping his arms around him.  
“I need to leave tomorrow.”  
“Don’t worry about what you’re going to do tomorrow. Worry about what I’m going to do to you today.”  
  
Sting’s laugh was just the slightest bit sadistic, but it gave her just the faintest smile. Their relationship right now is purely physical, Lucy knew, but the more time she spent with him, the more she felt that this was exactly what she needed. Even if it was possibly a bad idea.  
  
 _This is not a bad distraction_ , she thought.


	4. An Answer In Reach

Natsu had a day off from competition. Lucy was gone all day yesterday and he hasn't seen her all morning. Natsu continued to search for her, but he was beginning to wonder if it was useless. He went to the small bar at the inn. He sat next to Cana, sighing heavily.

"Why so down, Natsu?" Cana asked. "You won your event yesterday."  
"It's Lucy," Natsu said in a weak voice.  
"Lucy? What about her?"  
"She's been acting strange," Natsu clarified.  
"You think so?"  
"I know so."  
"Haven't you talked to her about it?"  
"She said nothing was wrong, but I don't believe her."

Cana knew Lucy was upset because Natsu was dense enough to indirectly reject Lucy's feelings. She also happens to know that Lucy has been sneaking out to hang around that guy from Sabertooth. The card wielder figured Lucy wouldn't mind if Cana meddled just a little bit. Cana gave Natsu a sympathetic slap on the back.

"The mind of a woman is a mysterious thing!" she said laughing. She took a few gulps of her barrel. "Maybe I'll help you out since I like Lucy so much."  
"Really?" Natsu said, hopeful.  
"Really," she said pulling out her deck of cards.

Cana shuffled her cards and randomly selected two cards. The first card was labeled The Lovers, while the second was labeled The Devil.

"The Lovers card usually has to do with sexuality, love, and relationships. We all know that in her 18 years of life, Lucy's never had a boyfriend," Cana said chuckling. "Perhaps she desires something more  _intimate_  or maybe she's struggling with  _temptation_." Cana then pointed to the second card. "The Devil could indicate bondage. Perhaps she's stuck on something or has accepted an unwanted situation."

Natsu looked at Cana a little bewildered. She sighed.

"I'll let you put two and two together, Natsu. The bottom line here is that Lucy is struggling with some personal issues and is stuck where she is. Maybe you should go help her?"

The bottom line gave Natsu some heart. If Lucy was in trouble, then at least he could try and help her! Natsu stood up abruptly and was about to race out into town to try and find Lucy. Cana hastily grabbed the end of his muffler and yanked him back towards her.

"One more thing," Cana said in a slightly serious tone. "Even though we're asking about Lucy, the fact that you're the one who sought answers means that the answers probably relate to you…" Cana then gave a pointed look to Natsu. "The Devil can also signal _ignorance_  of a situation."

Natsu nodded slowly, trying to make sense of what Cana was saying. Anyway, Cana gave him the clue that he needed to spring into action. If he could help Lucy, he would help. She is his partner after all!

* * *

Natsu searched for Lucy at her regular spots: bookstores, libraries, museums. He looked all around the stadium, in restaurants, at bars. He asked everyone who would normally know where Lucy was: Wendy, Levy, Erza. For some reason, Erza gave Natsu an odd look when he asked about Lucy. He could see the middle of her brow come together, looking almost sad. People have been looking at him weirdly these days!

"Try looking somewhere different," was Erza's advice.

When Natsu set out again he started searching among the inns the other guilds were staying in, which were the only spots he hasn't looked. Lucy didn't normally have a reason to be here, but, as Erza suggested, it was different.

It was then that he caught a glimpse of Lucy as she stepped out of one of the buildings. She was wearing some weird clothing. He could see that she was talking to someone behind her. The look on her face was also weird. Her expression was stern, like she was annoyed, but she was still blushing. Natsu had never seen Lucy blush like that before... At least he couldn't remember a time that he's noticed.

"Hey, Lu-" Natsu called out, but stop mid-sentence when he saw someone step out of the building behind Lucy.

Sting Eucliffe.

The rival mage stood directly behind Lucy, pressing his body against her back. Lucy's expression was still annoyed, but she didn't move. She said something back to Sting, which seemed to make him laugh. Watching this scene was pissing Natsu off.

Natsu walked over to them. As he approached the two, that unfamiliar scent that followed Lucy a few days ago, the scent of spiced rum, became stronger. He looked at Sting with narrowed eyes. "What's Lucy doing here?" Natsu said threateningly. "Are you the one making Lucy act so strange? What did you do to her?!" Natsu gave Sting a shove on the shoulder, looking like he was going to kill him.

"She came to me," Sting said.  
"LIAR!" Natsu gave Sting another shove, this time harder and ready to follow up.  
"You saw us. Does it look like I'm forcing her to do anything?" Sting said goading Natsu to get into a fight with him.

Natsu didn't to want to believe Sting. He was already in a low ready stance, right fist engulfed with flames. Natsu suddenly lunged at Sting, going for a blow straight in the chest. Sting stood there, but moved away at the last second. Natsu readied himself again, flames burning hotter.

"Natsu, stop it!" Lucy said stepping in between the two. "Sting didn't trick me or force me into anything. I came here by choice."

Natsu blinked at her. If Lucy wasn't being kept here by force, then Natsu had rethink this situation. Lucy came out of Sabertooth's inn with Sting following closely behind her. She's wearing clothing that doesn't belong to her, men's clothing. Sting and Lucy's body language was weird too. Why was he pressing his body against hers and why didn't she smack him? Natsu could feel the answer to these questions just on the edge of his consciousness, but something in him rejecting the potential answer. He didn't want to think it. He looked at Lucy.

"Then... Does that mean..." Natsu was at a loss for words.

Lucy didn't look at him. Her face was beet red now. "I saw him at the club a few days ago," she said. "I've been seeing him since then. He's been keeping me company when I've been feeling… lonely."

Her last word was almost a whisper.  _Lonely_? Natsu thought that if Lucy was lonely, she should have hung out with him. He'd been trying to find her all day for the past few days. "Oh." was all Natsu could manage.

The awkward silence that filled the air was palpable. Natsu felt the need to flee this scene so he turned away to leave. He could see a smirk hang on Sting's lips as he did so. God, he wanted to knock that guy out right now, but he didn't, only because Lucy didn't want him to.

As soon as Natsu turned the corner, he started running. He ran as fast as he could to nowhere in particular. He just needed to run. Natsu mind was racing. He found Lucy, but she was with Sting. Something about that made him so angry.

Natsu ran straight out of town and into a small forest just on the outskirts of the area. He stopped at a large tree. He lashed out at the tree, punching it as hard as he could, causing a crack. He punched it again and then again. He continued punching it, each time harder than the last. Something inside of him was flaring up and he needed to do something violent. He jumped back.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" he yelled loudly, spewing large flames at the tree.

He was so confused. Why Sting? Why was she spending time with Sting? Wasn't Sting the one who had laughed at her hysterically when she got beaten unconscious by his guildmate? Wasn't Sabertooth the guild who humiliates its members? Why was Lucy spending time with a guy like that?!

"WHY IS LUCY SPENDING TIME WITH STING AND NOT ME?!" Natsu yelled out loud.

An unpleasant feeling overcame the fire dragon slayer. It wrapped all around his body, tightening him up, and making him feel like he was going to burst. Natsu had never felt like this before. So why was he feeling it now? He didn't know what to do. If only Igneel were there to guide him!

Natsu fell back and sat on the floor staring at the tree burning before him. He felt really exhausted.

He thought back to Lucy's words:  _I came here by choice_. Lucy is choosing to be with that guy. If that's the case, Natsu couldn't do much to stop her, right? So why did Natsu feel so _angry_?He felt like he wanted to do something to change that, to tear Lucy away from Sting and make sure Sting never got anywhere near her ever again.

* * *

Sting noticed that there was a particular way that Lucy would look at Natsu. Lucy gave Natsu that look very briefly when the pink hair mage walked over to them. It was a look she never gave to any other man, including Sting.

The blond dragon slayer had no illusions over what was going on between himself and Lucy. Lucy still had feelings for Natsu, Natsu didn't seem to notice, so she's getting over him with Sting. After their encounter with Natsu earlier today, it was all too obvious to Sting. If he had to guess, Lucy went to Sting whenever something happened with Natsu. The blond dragon slayer was well aware of the fact that she was using him for his body and that was fine by him. It wasn't as though he wasn't using her for her body either.

While there were the looks Lucy gave only to Natsu, Sting reveled in the looks she gave him when they were together: eyes half lidded, looking at him with desire and pleasure. Now _those_ looks were something Natsu didn't ever get to see. Nor any other man.

After the encounter with Natsu that morning, Lucy decided to stay with him for another day and night. Sting went out to compete, while she stayed in the room. When he came back they had sex, ordered room service, and then had more sex.

In between sex, she would read her books. Sting surprised her by revealing he read books on occasion as well. Lucy was coming back from the bathroom when she caught him flipping through one of her books. She looked at him, pleasantly surprised. She gave an animated talk about the kind of books she likes and recommendations for him based on his tastes. It was one of their first decent conversations with each other.

Somehow, their talk made him want to ravage her again and so he did, much to her pleasure. She fell asleep pretty quickly after that. Sting wasn't tired so he decided to continue reading the book he was looking through earlier. After a while, he put the book down and glanced at her sleeping form.

She slept on her stomach. Despite her tendency to act like a princess, Lucy actually slept like a log. Sting thought it was funny.

"Hey," Sting said nudging her on the shoulders. "Wake up."

She didn't stir. He nudged her again, this time a little harder, to no avail.

With a small smile on his face, he slid the sheet that covered her back down to just above her rear end. With his index finger, he slowly traced her spine from the back of her neck downward. He loved the curve of her back, maybe even more so than her gorgeous front side. Sting enjoyed her breasts plenty, but he was quick to learn the intricacies of her body. He found that she was especially sensitive along the line of her back. Her body would squirm in a particular way. Even now as she slept, a light moan escaped her lips as he slid a light finger down her spine. He wondered how many men actually knew that.

Natsu didn't, that was for sure.

The Grand Magic Games were ending soon. Lucy said nothing about what would happen when everyone went back to their respective guilds. Sting considered paying her a visit in Magnolia.


	5. The Breaking Point

Following the end of the Grand Magic Games, all the guilds returned home. Everyone continued on exactly has they had before the competition. Everyone, Mirajane Strauss noticed, except Lucy and Natsu. The takeover mage had an eye for relationship troubles. While Lucy and Natsu were never officially together, they might as well have been given how much time they spent with each other. Though, it didn't take a good eye to notice that Lucy and Natsu were hardly together at all these days.

It was an early morning and Lucy sat by herself at the bar. The guild was usually pretty empty at this hour, save for Lucy and a handful of other early birds. Natsu was noticeably missing. Mirajane had been watching Lucy all morning. Lucy didn't tell her, but Mira could tell something was going on with Lucy and that guy from Sabertooth. Mira happened to have spotted the two blonds together this morning while she was getting some supplies. She's kept it to herself since then, but she really wanted to confirm what she saw. It's been a few days since the guild returned to Magnolia, but Mira noted the change in Lucy's behavior around Natsu well before they got back home. It wasn't until today that she happened to spot clear evidence why Lucy was avoiding Natsu so much. The juiciness of all this was killing her!

"Hey Lucy," Mira said, grinning from ear to ear. "Am I correct in thinking that you're involved with someone from another guild?"  
Lucy spat out her drink into Mira's face, but the transformation mage was just too excited to care. "H-how did you know?" the blonde asked.  
"I saw you two around town today," Mira said with a sly smile. "He's here to visit you, isn't he?"  
Lucy blushed and looked away. She was still a little ashamed even though Mira was giving her a huge smile. "…You're not going to say something?" Lucy asked quietly.  
"Why should I?"  
"Everyone else who knows said something."  
"Sting hasn't exactly been kind to Fairy Tail."  
Lucy let out a defeated sigh in response.  
Mira only chuckled. "Now, now, Lucy. Sting is a cocky bastard and Fairy Tail hates Sabertooth, but that's just rivalry stuff. You're free to be with whomever you like. If you being with Sting were a real issue, then someone would have stopped you by now, right?"  
"I guess so."  
"Where is the man in question now?" Mira asked curiously.  
"He's checking in at a nearby inn."  
"I thought you had your own apartment," Mira said. "He's not going to be staying with you?"  
"N-no!" Lucy said quickly. "He said he's tired (nauseous) from the trip here, so I won't be seeing him until tomorrow."

Mira nodded happily and continued her work at the bar. Lucy wasn't sure if Mirajane was really encouraging her or if it the takeover mage simply wanted Lucy to be in a relationship regardless of who it was with. It was then that Lucy realized something.

"We're not in a relationship," Lucy said out loud.  
Mirajane turned to Lucy. "Hmmm?"  
"We're not boyfriend and girlfriend. We just…" Lucy blushed.

Mirajane knew exactly what Lucy meant, but her smile didn't change.

"Don't worry about something like  _that_ ," Mira said cheerfully.

Lucy turned around coughing on her drink again. Mira doesn't even care if we're in a real relationship!

It was true that Lucy herself didn't mind that she and Sting weren't really in a relationship. It was just easier to deal with: less work, less baggage. When she first started seeing him she imagined their little fling would come and go just as the Grand Magic Games would come and go. When Sting said he was coming to Magnolia to see her (note: he wasn't asking for her permission), she was a little surprised.

Well… the sex was pretty good, so maybe she wasn't too surprised. She had to admit she really enjoys sleeping with Sting. He just knew exactly what to do, where to do it, when to start, when to stop. Was it because he was experienced with women in general or was it because they had a connection on a physical level? Lucy  _felt_ like the latter was the case, though she knew it didn't matter either way.

Lucy decided to she would try talking to Natsu another time, pushing it off for a little longer. She wasn't sure what she would say to him when they did talk, but she's knew they needed to. For now, though, she had Sting to entertain.

Since she and Natsu were not together, so she wasn't obligated to let Natsu know Sting was coming to see her. It wasn't any of his business. That was Lucy's thought process anyway. Whether she realized it or not, she was still trying to keep Sting a secret from Natsu. Even though Natsu must have some kind of idea of what's going on with between Lucy and Sting, Lucy found herself wanting avoid her and Sting's liaison from getting out into the open.

She and Sting weren't even in a  _real_  relationship, after all.

* * *

That evening, Lucy went home to take a bath and then go to bed. She planned to go see Sting tomorrow after the easy mission she had lined up. She stepped out of the tub, wrapped a towel around her body and walked into her bedroom. She noticed the silhouette of a man sitting on the window to her bedroom. Lucy held her breath in anticipation of discovering who it was. It was entirely possible that it was Natsu. And if it was…

"Oh, it's just you," she said after realizing it was Sting. "Breaking and entering is illegal, you know."  
Sting laughed. "If you're worried about prowlers, you shouldn't leave your window open at night."

Lucy walked over to her vanity and sat down to brush her hair.

"I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow because you were feeling sick," she said.  
"There's medicine for that kind of thing," Sting replied casually. "Besides, why should I waste time waiting to see you?"  
"So that we can take a break, for instance? Don't you ever get tired of constantly having sex?"

Sting could tell by the tone of her voice that her words were partly her trying to reason with him and partly a challenge. Sometimes it seemed like she was testing him on how much sex he could have with her, a challenge he loved to take her up on. Sting walked over to Lucy and picked up her, causing her to squeal with surprise. He sat her up on the table of her vanity while taking a seat on the vanity's chair.

"Can't even wait?" Lucy said with a daring smile on her lips.

Sting tugged on the edge of Lucy's towel, causing it to fall down to her waist. He trailed kisses from the top of her breast, to the crook of her neck, and to the space just below her ear. The smell of burning embers was only faint now. A few weeks ago, Natsu's scent on Lucy had been fairly strong. A satisfied smile donned Sting's lips. "I can never wait," he said to her in a forceful whisper.

* * *

Natsu was thankful for the possibility that he wouldn't be seeing Sting anymore now that they were back in magnolia. Natsu imagined that without Sting in the picture, things would return back to normal. Lucy would be around more often and they'd be out going on missions together as they always had.

Unfortunately for Natsu, things did not change in the first few days since they returned. Lucy came around, but not as often as she used to. She was there for missions, but only if Erza and Gray were also there, and only if the missions were short. Otherwise Lucy was gone. She continued to keep secrets from Natsu, which he hated. She continued to avoid him altogether, which he hated even more. What really confused him was that she didn't act as though she hated him or was mad at him. If that had been the case, then he would have done whatever he could to make it up to her. But that wasn't the case. Whenever Natsu was able to speak with Lucy, she acted as though everything were the same. The only difference Natsu could detect was her nervous laugh and how quickly she tried to excuse herself from him.

God, he missed being around her. He felt like a part of himself was missing when she wasn't nearby. That feeling only seemed to get worse as the between seeing her started stretching from hours apart into days apart. It was just weird!

Natsu couldn't take it anymore. He was beginning to feel desperate for her company. He needed to see Lucy soon. He just missed her so much. He decided to go to her apartment. It would be just like old times, right?

By then it was already nighttime. The lights were out in Lucy's bedroom, but the window was still open. Natsu jumped up to the window frame, cautious about the quiet of her room. The smell that wafted from inside the room was distinctly different. The smell of fruit mixed with rum and something else. Something slightly more intoxicating. Natsu's desire to see Lucy became stronger even though a part of him knew what all this might mean.

Inside were the quiet sounds of Lucy's heavy breathing. She was sitting up in bed, her body moving up and down in a rhythmic fashion. She was naked, her body covered in sweat, shimmering against the moonlight. Lucy leaned backwards, moaning in pleasure, body continuing to move. Natsu stared at her large breasts for just a moment. His eyes were captivated by the look of pleasure on her face and the moans that escaped her lips.

_She is so beautiful…_

Natsu wasn't keeping track of how long he was there at the window watching Lucy. He was in a trance. He'd never seen Lucy like this.

His reverie was broken at the sound of a distinctly male grunt. Sting seemed to emerge out of the mess of sheets that surrounded Lucy. The blond dragon mage pushed Lucy onto her back and-

Natsu decided leave.

* * *

The next morning, Natsu tracked Sting down. He followed the scent of spiced rum that invaded Lucy's room the night before to the 8-Island restaurant, which was owned by Master Makarov's old friend, Yajima. Sting was sitting at the bar, possibly waiting for Lucy to be done with her mission for the day.

"Ah, Natsu," Yajima said. "Welc-"

Yajima stopped abruptly upon feeling the menacing air surrounding Natsu as he entered. Natsu walked over to Sting and shoved him off his chair.

Sting didn't have to ask why Natsu was there. Sting could smell Natsu's approach from a mile away. The smell of burning embers was certainly at Lucy's apartment last night.

"What, are you going to fight me?" Sting said mockingly.

Yes, Natsu was going to fight him. He was going to kill Sting as long as no one stopped him. Yajima quietly lead the other patrons out of the restaurant. The old man knew immediately that this was a dangerous situation.

Natsu's body burst into flames as he dashed forward to punch Sting. Sting, caught slightly off guard, jumped out of the way, but only barely. The feathers of his vest were burned off.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu wailed, sending fire in Sting's direction.

Every muscle in Natsu's body was tense, his mind clouded with rage. God, he wanted to kill him. He was going to kill him. It was the only thought circling in Natsu's mind.

"What's the matter, Natsu?" Sting said. "Why are you so angry?"

Natsu didn't respond to Sting. Instead, he focused on trying to kill that man. Natsu leapt into the air. "FIRE DRAGON'S CLAW!" Natsu's feet ignited with fire as he came down towards Sting with as much force he could muster. Natsu's powerful kick instantly destroyed the floor below him, the flames surrounding his kick began to engulf the walls and ceiling. Again, Sting was able to get out of the way for the most part, but he did get hit fairly hard by some of the debris.

"Are you angry because of what you saw?" Sting questioned again. "I know you were watching us."  
Natsu only spat on the ground.  
"You're a real pervert, you know that?" Sting continued. "You could have left the second you realized what was happening, but you stuck around to watch. I wonder why that is?"

Natsu threw himself at Sting again. Sting remained on defense, but he did not look overwhelmed.

"Do you need to be near Lucy that much?" Sting asked Natsu, surprised by the anger that was building inside of him. Sting felt the desire to fight Natsu back. Without exactly lingering on why, Sting felt he had something to prove to Natsu. "Remember that  _I_  was the one who was with her.  _Me._ " Sting jumped back a few paces, ready to attack. "White dragon's roar!"

A white beam was sent Natsu's way. Natsu was grazed in the shoulder, but had otherwise dodged it. The rest of the beam sliced through the columns of the restaurant, causing the wall to crumble. The two charged at each other again, exchanging blows. Sting was beginning to get serious. The intensity of their attacks was becoming more severe, the damage to the surrounding area was beginning to increase. The sounds of screams from outside could be heard, possibly collateral damage, though neither dragon slayer was willing to back down.

"Fight me all you want, Natsu," Sting said looking straight at him. "I'm not the bad guy!"

Natsu was beyond reasoning. He stopped listening to what Sting had to say the second he walked into that building. Natsu didn't care. He was going to kill Sting and anything that got in his way.

 


	6. Slightest Hope

**Chapter 6: Slightest Hope**

Lucy had just returned from completing a simple job and was planning on meeting with Sting after she claimed her jewels. She barely sat down to speak with Mirajane when Erza burst into the main room of the guild hall.

"LUCY!" Erza said as she frantically made her way to Lucy. "We need to go to 8-Island."

Before Lucy could reply, Erza pulled the blonde mage out her chair and exited the building.

"Wait, Erza," Lucy said struggling to to keep up. "What's going on?"  
"It's Natsu and Sting," Erza replied. "They got into a fight. I think they were seriously trying to kill each other."

Lucy felt her insides sink with dread upon hearing the news. She had all sorts of bad thoughts and feelings over the situation. There weren't very many possibilities as to why they were fighting each other.

The two quickly ran over to the restaurant. By the time Lucy arrived, the fight was already over. 8-Island had already burned to the ground. The sides of the neighboring buildings were also damaged. Debris lay strewn about the streets, small fires were burning here and there.

A crowd gathered around the area. Some were onlookers, others were there to help, and still more were had been injured in the wake of the intense fighting. A few members of Fairy Tail were also there. Juvia and Gray were working on putting out the last of the flames. Wendy was assisting a grumpy Polyusica with healing some of the bystanders. Makarov and Yajima were speaking with city officials. Even a representative of the Magic Council was there.

Lucy could hear her some other guild mates murmur to one another about the fight.

"Natsu and that jerk from Sabertooth really went at it."  
"I knew they didn't really like each other, but isn't this a bit much?"  
"Why was the guy from Sabertooth is even here?"

Lucy looked at the commenters with apprehension. If the two dragon slayers were fighting over her, this kind of damage was not worth it. Not the destruction of property, nor the injuries to the bystanders. The dread Lucy was feeling sank a little deeper.

She searched around for the people in question. The two were laying in cots set off to the side, no one seemed to be paying them much attention even though they were the most severely injured. Lucy imagined it was because the two could stand more damage compared to the regular citizens. And maybe it was punishment for causing all the chaos.

The stellar mage let out a gasp when she got closer to them. Their bodies were dotted black and purple with bruises. Their faces were swollen almost beyond recognition. Bones were broken, Lucy knew. Around both of their chest areas and faces had jagged gashes caused by hard punching and kicking. Lucy noticed a few cleaner looking cuts, possibly caused by broken glass. Natsu had three puncture wounds on his chest, while Sting had two cuts around his throat. The cuts ran deep, Lucy could tell. Someone treated them only enough to stop the bleeding. They looked really bad, but Lucy knew they were going to survive.

Guilt was weighing heavily on her. Sting and Natsu caused the damage, she couldn't deny she was somehow involved if they were fighting over her. But what could she do? There was no way for her to foresee something like  _this_ happening. The fight itself, maybe, but the extent to which the two of them lost control was an entirely different issue. She couldn't say much for Sting, but she knew Natsu hates hurting innocents.

Lucy closed her eyes.

_Natsu… What were you thinking?  
_

* * *

The fight between Sting and Natsu caused a small stir in the world of mages because they had put a number of non-mages in serious danger. The only saving grace was that Fairy Tail had a mostly good standing in the community due to the many good deeds guild members have done over the years. Members of Fairy Tail were also well connected. For instance, Yajima even convinced the owners of the buildings next to 8-Island to allow him to handle negotiating something to fix their properties, which made it easier for Fairy Tail to avoid serious punishment.

Fights and the destruction of property was not too uncommon in Magnolia, especially where Natsu was involved. But this issue was entirely different. Natsu wasn't destroying property because he got a little heated fighting off some bandit. This was a personal kind of anger and it was clear that with this kind of anger, Natsu was harder to control. The same could be said about Sting who was just as guilty in creating the destruction.

At the request of the Magic Council, Yajima facilitated a meeting along with Makarov and Jiemma, Sabertooth's guild master.

"This is ridiculous!" Jiemma said annoyed. "All this trouble for some trash mage like her. For some slut!"  
Makarov glared at Jiemma. "Don't you dare say that about Lucy!"  
"What? It's true! This fight was caused by some girl who doesn't know who she wants to spread her legs for! Maybe she's doing it for both of them!"

Makarov couldn't take this anymore of this guy. He immediately began to grow in size, lifting a closed fist overhead to smash this guy like a goddamn bug.

"Makarov," said the quiet voice of Yajima.  
Makarov returned back to his normal form, but only because it was Yajima. "Please, continue."  
"It's not that I don't understand the passions of young men, but that fight was more violent than usual, even for Natsu," Yajima said. "Someone could have gotten killed. If it had been just another bar fight, I might have let it slide, but this time we'll need the responsible parties to pay for the damages."

Yajima looked to the two guild masters. Each one gave him a different expression.

"We don't have the money," Makarov said guiltily.  
" _Sabertooth_ isn't paying a dime. This is Sting's fault," Jiemma spat.

Sabertooth's master met with Sting in the hospital beforehand. It was not an amicable conversation. Not only had Sting shamed Sabertooth by consorting with a Fairy Tail whore, but that twerp had the nerve to talk back to Jiemma! Jiemma just wasn't in the mood.

Makarov and Yajima went on to discuss other options for repayment. Jiemma was not going to hear any of it. Not wanting to deal with any of this much longer, Jiemma stood and headed for the door. Sabertooth owe these people nothing.

"What about Sting?" Makarov asked.  
"I don't need a piece of shit mage who spends time with Fairy Tail's whores!" Jiemma bellowed. "You can have him!"

Makarov shot an angry glance at Yajima, his eyes asking for permission to kick this guy's ass. Jiemma left the room, slamming his door on his way out.

"Sting is one of his strongest mages and he just abandons the kid over something small like this!" Makarov scoffed.  
"What are you going to do, Makarov?"  
"You need money to pay for the damages, right? Once the two of them heal, they can take on jobs to slowly pay you back."  
"Does that include Sting?"  
Makarov paused. "That includes Sting. I'm going to allow him access to the job boards," the master said. "He's a cocky little brat, but he's still a competent mage… If Lucy is bothering to be with him he can't be entirely bad."

Yajima looked at Makarov quietly. Allowing the two work for the repayment would indeed take care of the damages, but the conflict between the two dragon slayers is probably the bigger issue.

"What about the reason for their fight?"

Makarov sighed. He wasn't one to meddle in the personal lives of his guild members, but this is practically a political issue. "Natsu  _is_ dangerous when he can't control his emotions, especially when we're talking about emotions he doesn't understand… However, simply separating the two isn't a good long term solution. They need to  _resolve_ this themselves." Makarov gave Yajima a plaintive look, almost as though he were apologizing in advance. "This may be the best opportunity for Natsu to grow emotionally. I don't think it ever occurred to him that anyone other than himself would take up Lucy's time. For now I'll leave them be and let them work it out. But just in case I'll have Erza keep an eye on them from a distance."

Yajima nodded at his friend.

* * *

Lucy immediately regretted the decision to go to the guild hall. The main floor went completely quiet as soon as she entered, everyone's eyes fixed on her. Lucy watched the faces of her comrades carefully to see if anyone had that disdainful expression where the words  _whore_  or  _slut_ were just hanging on their lips. The blonde mage half expected that kind of reaction because she's been down this road before. A busty blonde like herself was an easy target for that kind of thing.

As she looked around the guild hall, there was none of the disgust she was half expecting. If anything, everyone was looking at her with curiosity. Lucy was a little relieved.

Lucy walked over to the bar where Mirajane was going about her business as normal. Everyone continued to stare at Lucy. Couldn't they at least try to hide the fact that they're staring? Lucy began to show sweat drops as the awkward silence grew longer. Lucy felt the instinct to flee, but how could she do that with everyone staring at her like that?

"LUCY HAS A BOYFRIEND!" came the sudden yell of Happy who was flying in circles above her. He had that goofy expression of his whenever he talked about these things.

The exseed's comment opened the floodgates to the questions everyone around her was holding in. Word got around regarding the fight. Everyone deduced very quickly that Lucy was at the heart of the conflict. Lucy only allowed herself to confirm that she has been seeing Sting since the Grand Magic Games, but they were not dating. She evaded the more specific questions.  _Those_ details were things that the general Fairy Tail population did not need to know. It was an awkward and embarrassing moment, but it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. All this time, she'd been afraid that everyone would look down on her for seeing Sting. Surprisingly, she found that most people accepted it even though no one really approved that it was Sting in particular that she was seeing.

After the flurry of questions, Lucy sat down at her regular table feeling exhausted. Gray and Levy were already there, looking at her intently.

"Are you guys here for more juicy details as well?" Lucy sighed.  
"No, it's not that," Gray said. "I'm just wondering why  _Sting_  of all people? I just don't see why you would want to be with  _him_."  
Levy nodded in agreement. "I'm also a little confused, Lu-chan. I thought you had a thing for Natsu."  
Gray looked at both Lucy and Levy a little shocked. "You and…  _Natsu_?"  
Lucy only blushed. "I do…" she said weakly. "I mean I did… I mentioned it to him a few times, but it didn't seem like it would go anywhere… You know how dense he is." Lucy looked away. The burn of those encounters still hurt, just a little.  
"That's why you started seeing Sting?" Gray asked.  
"More or less," Lucy replied.  
"Well, based on what happened, my guess is that Natsu got into a fight with Sting because he's jealous," Levy said. "That suggests that he has some romantic inclinations towards you."

Lucy looked at Levy, afraid to allow herself to be hopeful. The thought had occurred to her. Could it be that Natsu went into a jealous rage because he wanted her? He may not be able to respond to her consciously, but perhaps somewhere deep down inside of him, he felt the same for her as she did for him. Why else would he fight Sting so hard? Lucy didn't want to start thinking this way, but she couldn't help it. Her feelings for Natsu still lingered.

Gray watched to the two girls exchange words of support and encouragement. Honestly, Gray didn't think Natsu was the boyfriend type, not in the way most females wish for. But he had to admit things have been weird with Lucy and Natsu being apart so much. It's affecting the chemistry of the team, no matter how much Lucy tries to pretend.

"I can't say much about Natsu's feelings," Gray said to Lucy. "I can tell you that even before the fight, he's been out of it. We all could see that it was really affecting him."  
Levy nodded in agreement. "At least go see him," Levy suggested.

Lucy looked at them for a moment. It has been a while since they talked properly…

* * *

Sting sat up in his bed staring out the window. During his meeting with Jiemma, he found that his guild master was intent on calling Lucy a whore and blaming everything on her. Sting surprised himself by shooting back at Jiemma with threats of leaving Sabertooth. Sting  _said_  he was too good for Sabertooth, but what he really  _meant_ was for Jiemma to stop calling Lucy a whore. Jiemma was furious and kicked Sting out of the guild in a fit of rage.

Whatever. Sting didn't even like that guy, anyway.

Sting had just heard the news from Fairy Tail's master that he would have access to Fairy Tail's job board while working off his debt to 8-Island and the other victims. Makarov even offered to consider Sting a temporary member of the guild since Jiemma gave Sting the boot. At first, Sting laughed at the prospect stooping as low as joining Fairy Tail, but ultimately accepted access to the job pool because he didn't have many other options.

"Um…" said a young female voice. "Hello?"

Sting looked to the door. A young girl with black hair and brown eyes poked her head into his room.

"What," Sting asked rather brusquely. He was not particularly fond of younger people.  
"Master Makarov asked me to help heal you," the girl asked meekly.  
"Heal me? What for?"  
"He said the sooner you're healed, the sooner you can start taking on jobs."

Sting only stared at her wondering if Makarov was being kind to him or if he just wanted the debt to be settled as soon as possible. Sting nodded. The girl sat down next to him and began the slow process of healing.

"I can only heal you enough so that you can move around, mostly the broken bones. You're still going to feel pain from the other wounds, so try not to exert yourself too much."  
"Fine."

Ten minutes passed in silence. At least this girl was smart enough to keep quiet and work efficiently. He recognized her from the Games. She was also a dragon slayer.

"What's your name?" Sting asked suddenly, startling the girl.  
"W-Wendy!" she stammered.

Sting became quiet again and stayed quiet. The awkward silence settled in again, but Sting didn't care.

"I…" Wendy said in a small voice. "I went to heal Natsu before I came here. He said Lucy is  _with_ you."

Sting turned to the girl who was obviously intimidated by him.

"I always thought that Lucy really liked Natsu. Maybe even loved him… But if she's choosing to be with you…"  
"If she's choosing to be with me…?" Sting was actually interested in what the girl had to say.  
"…If she decided to be with Natsu, then I'm sure Natsu would have cherished her… I wonder if you…"

Wendy blushed, struggling to figure out what she was trying to say. Sting had a good idea, though.

"You're wondering if I'll take good care of her?" Sting asked.  
It looked like the girl didn't know what she was trying to say. "Y-yes…" she said finally.

Sting thought about what he would tell this girl who obviously had hoped Lucy would end up with Natsu.

"How old are you?" Sting asked.  
"13."  
"Do you know how babies are made?"  
Wendy blushed even deeper. "R-Roughly."  
A small smirk graced Sting's face. "Lucy and I aren't together," he said. "Not in the way you think."  
"Oh." The girl blushed. Her expression looked defeated.  
"But I'll think about what you said."

The girl looked at him hopefully, continuing her work.

* * *

Lucy went to the hospital and took a seat next to Natsu, who was asleep. Lucy reached out to lightly trace over the bandage that covered the puncture wounds on his chest. Wendy told Lucy that both Sting and Natsu received the same kind of treatment: broken bones were healed first, cosmetic changes to the face such as healing the cuts and bruises Neither are completely healed, though. The puncture wounds, for instance, were stitched up manually and would have to heal on their own. Wendy also said she could probably make the scars go away, though it won't change that the fight occurred.

The stellar spirit mage went over in her mind again and again what could have happened that caused that fight. In her heart of hearts, she wondered if perhaps Natsu's feelings were beginning to change.

Natsu began to stir.

"Lucy…" Natsu said drowsily without opening his eyes. He could tell it was her by her scent: mostly fruity, very little rum.  
"Shh..." Lucy said gently. "You need to rest."

Natsu tried to move, but winced upon realizing he was still injured. He relaxed again.

"I missed you," he said in a tone of voice that Lucy never heard before.

Lucy sat on the chair by Natsu's bedside. She reached out for his hand, this time he held onto it.

_You idiot_ , she thought.

* * *

From across the hall, Sting saw a flash of blonde hair enter Natsu's room. Without realizing it, he watched with narrow eyes, a growl forming in his throat.


	7. Crossing Lines

**Chapter 7: Crossing Lines**

When Master Makarov asked Erza to watch over Natsu and Sting once they came back from the hospital, she didn't think it would be nearly as bad as this.

It was late. The guild hall was pretty empty by then. No one expected either of the dragon slayers to come in straight out of the hospital, but they did. Maybe they wanted drinks. Maybe they were both looking for Lucy. Erza wasn't there. Sting got to the guild hall first. He sat down and asked Mirajane for a drink. Fifteen minutes later, Natsu walked in. Sting seemed to know it right away because even before Natsu opened the door, Sting was standing up facing the entrance.

Something in both the dragon slayers clicked when they came close to each other. It was as though their common sense turned off as their instincts kicked in. Natsu barely entered the building when both suddenly dashed towards one another. This skirmish started so quickly, that even Erza was too surprised to react at first. While their attacks against one another weren't laced with the intent to kill as with their first fight, it was clear that they weren't ready to sit down and talk out their differences as Makarov had naively hoped.

Other members of the guild cleared the way as the two exchanged punches. A few tables were broken, some glasses shattered. It all seemed to happen in a moment.

Erza snapped out of her daze. Perhaps part of it was because she couldn't believe that they were stupid enough to start a fight with each other given all that had happened. She had to step in.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" she yelled as she equipped her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Without even wasting time to wait for them to listen, she knocked both of them to opposite sides of room. They looked at her, eyes widened as though they'd been slapped out of a trance.

Erza wondered if it was really a good idea to just "leave them be" as the master put it. They seem intent on starting a fight every time they saw each other.

"You," she said pointing at Sting. "You should just go to wherever you're staying. The guild hall is closing up soon, so take your drink and leave."

Sting clearly did not appreciate being bossed around by Erza, but as a guest of Fairy Tail, he decided to back off. With a scowl, Sting dusted himself off and left the building.

"And you," Erza said with narrowed eyes. "We need to talk."

Erza pulled Natsu over to one of the tables. She waited for Natsu, who was still visibly agitated with tense muscles and fast, shallow breathing. When Natsu's breathing returned to normal, she sat down next to him.

"Natsu, what were you thinking?!" Erza said forcefully.  
"I wasn't thinking anything," he replied. "My body just acted on its own."  
"You're right, you weren't thinking," Erza said, frustrated. "Why did you even come here? You knew Sting was going to be around."  
"I wanted to look for Lucy, so I checked here first," Natsu said. Truthfully, he knew Lucy was probably at her apartment, but he didn't want to go there only to find Sting there again.

Erza's anger subsided a little. It has been a long while since Natsu really saw Lucy. She visited him once in the hospital, but that was it. She couldn't blame Natsu for wanting to see his best friend again.

"Natsu," Erza said softly. "I get that you can't stand that guy, but you can't just go around trying to beat him up for no good reason."  
"But I do have a reason!" he exclaimed.  
"Oh? And what's that?"  
"I-" Natsu paused. He felt like he had a good reason, but now that he's thinking about it, he can't seem to articulate why.  
Erza could see that Natsu was struggling to answer. "You don't know, do you?" she said exasperated. "Listen, Natsu, I'll tell you this directly: this isn't just about Sting so you can't just muscle your way through it. This is also about Lucy and how you really feel about her."  
"What about my feelings for her?" Natsu said, somewhat annoyed. "We've been nothing but good friends!"  
Erza sighed. "That's fine, but things are different, now. You saw Sting and Lucy for yourself. And I know you don't like it because you nearly killed him! If you don't figure out your feelings for her soon, Lucy may end up falling for Sting for real."

Erza left the guild ahead of Natsu to make sure that Natsu's way home was clear of any signs of the blond dragon slayer. As she approached the door, she could hear Natsu sigh heavily, with the words "I know," hidden under his breath.

* * *

The following day, Natsu was allowed into the guild hall after it was cleared of Sting who promptly went off on a job of his own.

Natsu stood at the job board contemplating what job to do next. It addition to his rent, he needed to make a lot of jewels to pay for the damages he caused at 8-Island. Standing there alone, he didn't have the enthusiasm he used to have about taking on jobs. It just wasn't the same without Lucy as part of his team. Nothing seemed to look interesting.

"Natsu," said a tentative voice behind him.

It was Lucy.

"Lucy," Natsu said with surprise and just a little bit of relief. The look on her face was a little serious, something Natsu still wasn't used to seeing, but god he was glad to see her approach him willingly, like she did at the hospital. Natsu felt himself smile a little just looking at her. "What is it?"  
"Are you looking for a job?"

Natsu felt hope build up inside of him. This conversation was beginning to sound more and more like the old times.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed happily. "A big one. I owe a lot of money. You're coming with me, right?"  
"Yes, please," Lucy said. "My rent!"

Natsu cheered. He felt himself involuntarily reaching out to sling his arm over her shoulders, but stopped himself before he made the move. He shook his head.

* * *

It felt so good to be out on the road with Lucy by his side again! Even without Happy, who went somewhere with Wendy and Charle, being in a partnership with Lucy just felt so right. Natsu found himself grinning and laughing more and more as they day went on. Just the sound of her voice brought him comfort. She didn't sound like she was hiding anything or trying to avoid him. She sounded like she was having fun and that she  _wanted_ to be there with him. Natsu soaked it all in.

The mission they went on was a simple beat-up-the-bandits job two towns away from Magnolia, so there was a day of travel involved. The bandits themselves were easy, but there were so many of them that they basically took over the own. Natsu and Lucy were easily able to take the bandits down. Lucy even showed her enthusiasm by summoning a number of different Celestial Spirits for an all-out attack. Man, it was fun going on jobs with Lucy!

It was evening when they started on the trail home. After traveling for about a quarter of a mile, Lucy suddenly fell to her knees.

"Lucy?" Natsu said rushing to her side.  
"My energy…" she said. "I might've gone overboard during the mission."

Natsu thought about what he could do. He could carry her back the rest of the way, but they were pretty far from home. Natsu looked back towards the direction of the town they came from. They were closer to the town, which had an inn.

"Should we get a room?" Natsu asked.

Lucy seemed to hesitate, but she ultimately nodded in agreement. She just didn't have the energy to travel on foot that night. With Lucy hanging onto Natsu for support, they walked back to town. To save some cash, they split the cost of one room with two twin beds. It wasn't uncommon for them to share a room, but this night was a little more quiet than usual. Lucy got changed and settled into her bed. She was exhausted.

"I'm sorry, Natsu," Lucy said sleepily.  
"What for?" he asked.  
"For being so weak. Those bandits weren't even hard deal with, but even now I-"  
"You were just being enthusiastic," Natsu interrupted. "You didn't need to open so many gates, but you wanted to get the job done, right? Besides, I like your magic."

Natsu could tell that she was disappointed. She was always so hard on herself whenever she ran out of energy. She thinks it's a sign of how weak she is, but Natsu thinks that's just stupid. If she was really as weak as she thought she was, then they would both be dead by then. The fact that they survived so many different situations together is proof that she's strong and that they are a good team.

Natsu watched her as she smiled back at him. "Thank you," she said as she fell asleep.

Natsu never second guessed himself when it came to Lucy. People keep telling him to think about his feelings for Lucy, but what was there to think about? He trusts her and she trusts him. If she were in trouble, he would go save her, no questions asked. When they were together, they were always happy and always having fun. To him, them being partners was like a state of nature. It was just the way things were supposed to be.

In fact, it is for that reason that Natsu never tried to go any further with Lucy. Even when Lucy obviously showed interest in him, Natsu's avoided it. As it was, their relationship was so precious to him that he was too afraid to do anything that would change it. This included acting on his sexual attraction to her, which did exist, which he was aware of.

Was that the problem? Did Lucy start avoiding him because he held back from acting on his attraction to her, while Sting did not? Natsu didn't understand. He's had sexual fantasies about Lucy for a long time. And why not? She was beautiful and enticingly curvaceous. They spend so much time being physically close to each other, he would have to be blind not to notice her. But he couldn't get himself to act on it. There was the fear of change, of losing what he already has. But also, he felt that he couldn't take more from Lucy when she's given him so much happiness already. So he's held back, all this time.

Now, however, things have already changed with Sting in the picture. Lucy was spending more time with Sting and less time with Natsu. The bottom line, as Natsu saw it, was that he would have to act soon before Lucy disappears from his life for good. Could he really take her down and have his way with her, as he does in his fantasies? He had always been too afraid to find out, but…

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Natsu glanced over to his partner who was fast asleep. What if he let go, for just a second? What if he let his body do what it wanted to do and let his mind think what it wanted to think? A hazy image formed in Natsu's mind of him and Lucy together: he held her in his arms, the rest of their bodies tightly wrapped around each other, moving in unison. Natsu felt his blood going, just thinking about it.

Lucy didn't even stir when he sat on her bed and leaned over her. Oh, this is so cliché, but whatever. Just once, just this once, let him indulge. He pressed his lips against hers, ever-so-lightly. Were they as soft as he imagined?

Natsu felt a jolt run through him when she seemed to moan in response. Did she kiss him back? What happened thereafter was beyond him because at this point his body was moving on its own. Heat welled up inside of him as he kissed her more deeply. It got stronger as Lucy pushed back against him, kissing him back. She reached up and pulled him closer to her and onto the bed. Natsu was on top of her. He was running on instinct now. If Lucy was allowing it, he would let go.

He could feel her hands roam around him, undoing his top and pushing it off his shoulders. Natsu found himself being content to kiss her on the lips and around the neck. The feel of her body against his and the scent of sweet fruits filling his nostrils was almost too much stimulation as it was. But his body was still moving on its own, it still wanted a little more. His hand reached up, caressed Lucy on the cheek. Her eyes were closed, her expression looking as though she were savoring his touch. He sat up, leaning over her. Both of his hands moved on, slowly unbuttoning her pajama top. He didn't push the fabric away, instead his eyes lingered at the exposed skin, especially the under curve of her breast.

He leaned down again, kissing her more. His right hand went up to gently hold her shoulder, underneath the fabric of her open shirt. She was writhing below him. Both of them were breathing heavily, bodies shaking with desire. His hand was ready to push the fabric off her.

Suddenly her body came to a screeching halt. After a long pause, she sat up and pressed her hand against his chest, gently asking him to move away. The sound of their heavy breathing filled the silence. Lucy pulled at her pajama top, covering herself up again.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked nervously.  
"I'm sorry, Natsu…" she said unable to look at him.  
"What wrong?" he asked, a feeling of dread coming over him. He shouldn't have kissed her!  
"Can you give me a little more time?" she asked quietly.  
"You don't like this?" Natsu asked.  
"I do," she said. "I just… I'm not ready… This is different."  
Natsu looked at her confused, but he was not angry. "This  _is_ different," he agreed.

Natsu stood up and kissed her on the forehead.  _More time_ , Natsu thought, nodding his head as he settled into his own bed. He looked over to her again, the expression on her face was apologetic. He was hurt because she wanted to stop. It worried him. At the same time he was relieved because she didn't appear to hate him for kissing her. He had to admit he wanted to do it more.

More time. What he needed was more time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed to think long and hard about how I wanted the rest of the story to go. There were some seriously hard decisions I needed to make. This last scene was especially challenging for me to write. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review or kudos. :D


	8. Head-On Collision

**Chapter 8: Head-On Collision**

Sting took to sitting on the second floor of the main room in the hall. Like the first Fairy Tail building, usually only S-class mages hung around the second floor because the S-class job board was located there. Sting was not one of Fairy Tail's S-class mages, but he was roughly equivalent in Sabertooth. Besides, he had a hunch that hanging around on the first floor too often would lead to trouble.

There's another reason why he's been hanging around the hall more. The second floor opens up to the first floor, so Sting had a good view of who is coming and going. It was a good vantage point to observe Lucy and Natsu.

It's been a few days since Natsu and Lucy went on that job together. On the surface, they behaved the same as before as best friends, but Sting knew something had happened between them while they were gone. Something intimate. And he's pretty sure that something was continuing to happen when they're not at the guild hall because sometimes Lucy comes in smelling strongly of Natsu.

Sting had been watching them since then. Had Natsu made that crossover with Lucy? The mingling of their scents on each other seemed to suggest so, but whenever he saw the two together in public, they acted exactly as they had before the fight: as friends. Looking at the two, Sting couldn't help scowling.

"You seem upset," said a firm female voice.

Sting turned to find Erza. She looked at him with a firm expression, arms crossed.

"So what if I am?" he replied with slight bitterness.  
"Master Makarov assigned me to keep an eye on you two. We don't want another 8-Island repeat."  
"It looks like you're only keeping an eye on me. Isn't that unfair treatment?"

Erza looked down at the main floor where Natsu was going on merrily about the mission he'd gone on with Lucy.

"If Lucy is here, Natsu will behave."  
"Is he her dog or something?" Sting scoffed.

Erza shot him a death glare. Sting knew when to back off. He shrugged shoulders and looked back down at Natsu and Lucy. Natsu's arm was slung over Lucy shoulder. No matter which way Sting looked at them, the two looked exactly the same as before. So why did they smell so differently? Sting's disdainful expression didn't change.

"I'll be honest with you, Miss Exquip. Everyone keeps talking about how they think Natsu and Lucy belong together, but I think Lucy is just getting shafted wanting something out Natsu."  
"What does it matter to you, though? Is there something you want from Lucy or are you here to just cause trouble for them?"  
Sting laughed. "I'm here because I've got a debt to pay and I've been kicked out of my guild. THAT stuff is not by choice."  
"What you do with Lucy  _is_  by choice. As far as I can tell, you're confusing her."  
"What we do together is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Lucy is free to stop hanging around me whenever she wants. We both know it."

Sting watched Erza's eyes furrow in frustration. He knew she couldn't say anything in return because what he said was true. Lucy was a willing party in all of this.

"Fine," Erza said looking straight into Stings eyes. Her expression stern, yet earnest. "But I hope you're thinking about your intentions towards Lucy. Otherwise you're no better than Natsu."

Sting looked at her, thinking about what Erza said. He opened his mouth as if to say something back to her, but then he stopped. "My intentions towards Lucy are my own business," he said coldly.

* * *

The next morning, Sting entered the Fairy Tail building and walked straight over to Lucy, who was sitting with Natsu and a few of their friends.

"You," Sting said looking straight at Lucy. "You're coming with me on a job."  
"H-hey!" Lucy said as he pulled her out of her seat.

Natsu stood up, glaring at Sting, his fist already on fire. The guild members around him looked at him alarm. They could feel his anger seething from his skin. Everyone was quiet.

"Natsu," came Erza's firm command. "Stand down."  
Natsu glared at Erza. "But-"  
"Let her take care of this," Erza said interrupting him. "If you wanted to go on a mission with her, you should have said so sooner."

Erza looked towards Lucy to see what Lucy wanted to do. The exquip mage indicated that she would step in between the two dragon slayers if she had to so Lucy was free to make whatever choice she wanted.

Lucy looked towards the ground, her expression somewhat pained. She'd been avoiding Sting since the fight, but it was perhaps she owed him at least a little of her time. "I'll go with him…" Lucy said quietly. "For the money," she added.

Everyone watched as Sting lead Lucy out of the guild hall. Natsu sat back down in his seat, seething with anger.

* * *

Sting didn't bother consulting with Lucy about which job take. He had already signed them up when he dragged her out of the guild hall. The job he signed them up for was nothing particularly interesting: sneak into an abandoned site and retrieve some documents. The reward was fairly high because of the travel involved, which was fine by Sting as long as the price was right. This would also get Lucy away from that damn Natsu.

After giving Lucy a short brief on the job, the two set out for the job location. She was quiet most of the time, which was fine. When it came to work, Sting was all about business. He lead the way at a brisk pace. In their rare moments of down time, Lucy read a book, but otherwise they were on the move. What should have been two days of travel ended up being one day before they reached their destination. It was a small town just a few miles away from the abandoned site mentioned in the posting. Sting could tell Lucy was feeling exhausted, but he continued to move on in their mission. If Lucy was tired, she should toughen up or quit being a mage altogether, as far as Sting was concerned.

When they arrived at the small town, he spoke with the job poster. It turns out the supposedly abandoned site was now occupied by a mercenary group who seem to be killing people on sight. Sting scoffed, saying that that the mercenary group had always been there and that they were guarding the papers he and Lucy were meant to retrieve. Lucy wanted to show a little sympathy towards the guy because the papers were of sentimental value, but Sting felt otherwise. The blond dragon slayer demanded a higher pay rate, which the poster reluctantly agreed to.

The following morning they headed to the abandoned site was located deep in the nearby forest. The site itself lay in the middle of a circular cliff area that had only one path leading into the site, which was actually just a small cluster of small one room buildings that looked more like holding cells. The cliffs themselves were only about ten feet tall and had a slope, making it possible to climb up the sides. Still, based on the layout, it was clearly the perfect spot for a trap.

No one was there when Sting and Lucy arrive. It was obviously a trap, but Sting was confident. He led Lucy through the different cottages until they located the papers. As soon as they exited that cottage, they were surrounded by a large group of men, all of them armed and ready to do some damage.

Sting and Lucy stood with the backs to each other while the group of men circled in on them. Unlike the band of unruly bandits Lucy faced with Natsu, these men were mercenaries, meaning they were specifically trained in combat, some of whom seemed to deal with magic as well. Lucy felt a little nervous because there were so many of them, but she was up to the challenge. She had one hand held over her keys and the other hand holding onto her whip. Sting held his arm out in front of her, blocking her way.

"Don't even bother," Sting said. "I got this."  
"I'm part of this mission too!" Lucy pleaded.  
Sting let out a laugh. "You're too weak! I can handle this on my own. Besides, you'll just get in the way!"

Sting suddenly charged out, taking down mercenaries ten at a time. Each time Lucy tried to ready herself to fight as well, Sting would shoot her a look, yelling at her to just leave it to him. Sure, he was handling them just fine without her, but what was she supposed to do? Lucy gritted her teeth. How dare this guy tell her what to do! Sting was not her boss. She reached for a key anyway.

"Open the gate of the Golden Bull!" Lucy yelled, holding out a key. "Taurus!"

Taurus appeared standing tall. He looked over to Lucy, hearts immediately appearing in his eyes.

"Your breast are marvelous today, Lucy!" he said admiring them.  
"Yeah, yeah," Lucy said furrowing her brow. "Thanks. I need you to fight off some of these guys so I can get higher on the cliff."  
"Yes, ma'am!" Taurus said, steam blowing out his nose.

Taurus made quick work of the mercenaries blocking Lucy's path. Carefully, she scaled the small cliff until she got a good vantage point of the area below. After clearing the path, Taurus returned to the Spirit World.

"Open the gate of the centaur!" Lucy yelled. "Sagittarius!"  
A tall man in a horse suit appeared in a puff of smoke. "Hello! Hello!" he said with a salute.  
"Sagittarius, please take care of some of these men." Lucy requested.  
"Yes, ma'am."

From their distance, Sagittarius was easily able to dispatch a few of the mercenaries with skillfully placed shots at their joints. In a short amount of time, the stellar spirit was able to stave off around a third of their attackers. Lucy cheered her stellar spirit on. Unfortunately, Sagittarius suddenly disappeared. Lucy turned around only to find three men had snuck up behind her, all of them with hungry looks in their eyes. She took a few steps back, thinking about who to call on next. Before she could decide, Sting came rushing up the cliff, knocked the three mercenaries down and turned to Lucy looking furious.

"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled. "I thought I told you to stay back."  
"I'm part of this mission too! You saw for yourself! My stellar spirits and I took down at least a third of these guys."  
"But you're limited in how far you can go. There are a lot of men out here. I don't want you to use up all your magical energy in the middle of a fight. I'm just preparing for your weakness."

Sting looked around. All of the mercenaries were indeed men and more were on the way. He took Lucy into his arms and slung her over his shoulder.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Lucy asked.

Sting didn't answer. Despite Lucy's resistance, he easily forced her into one of the cottages located in the center of the building cluster and locked her in from the outside. Lucy pounded on the door, demanding Sting let her out. Her only option was to summon Virgo to dig her way out… But that wouldn't do. If she called on Virgo, she wasn't sure how much longer she would last out there, especially knowing that more men were on their way. Lucy thought back to when she was on the mission with Natsu. She was lucky then because her energy drained after the job was over. Would she dare push her luck again? Just to prove a point to Sting?

Lucy leaned her back against the door and slid down to the ground. Her cheeks were burning red with indignation. She was filled with both anger and shame. Anger at Sting for excluding her from the mission. Shame due to her own weakness, a wound Sting's attitude seemed to rub salt on.

This was nothing like working with Natsu.

* * *

Sting took care of the rest of the mercenaries an hour later and then released Lucy. They returned to the papers to the original poster, collected their reward, and headed back home. The job started that morning, by then it was already night. Lucy refused to speak to Sting or even look at him at first. After an hour of walking in silence, Sting finally said something.

"I don't understand what you're so mad about," Sting said plainly. "You're weaker than me, so it's only natural that I do more of the work."  
"You did all of the work!" Lucy exclaimed.  
"I'm strong enough to do it. So what's the poi-"  
"So what was the point of even bringing me along in the first place?!"

Lucy was yelling at the top of her lungs. She was hurt. Really hurt. How could he write her off to the extent of going out of his way to keep her from helping? Did he really think she was that weak? Lucy was obviously upset, but Sting didn't seem to feel guilty about it at all.

The stellar spirit mage ran ahead of Sting. Sting may have been right about her limitations, but he was being so arrogant about it. She couldn't even stand to be near him right now. She didn't want him to see her fight off her tears.

For the next three miles, Lucy stayed just within Sting's eyesight ahead of him. He thought it was so stupid that she was acting like a baby over something like this. Why was she having a hard time understanding the difference between the strong and the weak?

Sting had not planned on stopping at the next town, so he was caught off guard when Lucy started walking towards the town as they got closer.

"Hey!" Sting called after her. "Where the hell are you going?"  
"I'm going into town to see if I can book transportation," Lucy said annoyed.  
"Why waste your money on something like that?"  
"Because you're being a dick," Lucy said.

Sting shot her an angry look. He wasn't used to women talking back to him like that. He knew it would be useless to try and stop her. With a low growl, he hovered around behind her as she waited for the next caravan heading in the direction of Magnolia. He needed to make sure she got in safely.

Sting didn't stop her from traveling ahead of him, but he damn well was not going to let this go.

* * *

Lucy arrived at her apartment later that evening. The whole ride back she kept thinking about what Sting had said to her and how harsh he had been. Sting was not particularly kind nor was he comforting. She knew that Sting was not that kind of person, of course. What did she really expect from him?

Lucy sighed, looking out into the moonlight. No one at the guild was expecting her for another two days. She decided to stay away until then, just so she can cool off.

The following day she spent most of the day cleaning her apartment and doing other little things to get her mind off of things. She summoned Plue for some company, took a long bath, and read another book.

By evening time, she got tired of being indoors all day, so she decided to go for a drink, but not at the guild. Instead, she went to a smaller bar on the other side of town. The lighting in this bar was dark and the booths were pretty private. There were fewer people here, which was fine by Lucy. She wasn't feeling particularly social this night. She sat at a booth, had a few drinks. A few men came by asking if she wanted a free one, but she passed them all up.

It wasn't too long before Sting showed up. Without asking, he sat next to her. She turned away from him, causing Sting to groan in annoyance.

"How long are you going to be mad?" Sting asked.  
"As long as I want to be mad," Lucy replied.  
"This is stupid, you know that, right?"

Lucy glared at him.

"What would you have done, then, if I hadn't stopped those three men?" Sting asked.  
"I would have summoned someone to knock them down." Lucy replied.  
"But you know you can't keep that up forever. Eventually, you would have run out of magical energy. There were a lot of men out there. Can you imagine what they would have done to you if you did end up being defenseless?"

Lucy looked at him, a little surprised. She had to admit that she can understand where he was coming from. It was his way of protecting her, she thinks.

"Fine," Lucy said begrudgingly. "I can understand what you're saying, but that doesn't change the fact that you were being a jerk about it."

There was a long pause. Sting looked at Lucy's expression. She was still turned away from him, looking annoyed. But the annoyance was less harsh than it had been. At least he could tell that she didn't hate him.

"Are you done being mad, then?" Sting asked.  
"Only a little."

Sting let out a long sigh. He stood up and grabbed Lucy by the hand.

"I've got something for you," Sting said.  
"W-what is it?" Lucy said, somewhat confused.  
"You'll see."

Sting walked Lucy to the room he was renting while in Magnolia, which actually was not far from her own apartment. When they entered the room, he gestured towards the bed. In the middle was a large, old looking book. Lucy picked it up. It was labeled  _Speculations on the History of Fiore_. Lucy turned to Sting, pleasantly surprised.

"Wh-wha…" Lucy began to say, but was at a loss for words.

"It's an unofficial history of Fiore. You could also consider a mage's history because it goes into some of the magical phenomenon that occurs in this area, especially in the deep forests. It's been out of print for a long time, but the information is still considered good. I thought you would be interested."  
She looked at him, feeling almost bewildered. "J-just because you got me something doesn't mean I'm done being mad at you."

Sting took that as a comment of appreciation. He looked at her for a long while, thoughtfully. He walked up to her and took the book out of her hands. He reached up to brush away some of her hair towards he back. He leaned into the crook of her neck to catch a whiff of her smell. The strong smell of embers that had been there when Sting and Lucy started their mission together was lighter now.

"You kissed Natsu, didn't you?" Sting said suddenly. "That time you went on a mission with him. And probably a number of times after that."  
Lucy laughed nervously. "That's pretty sudden," she said. "Have you been watching me?"  
"No, I'm not a pervert like Natsu," Sting replied. "I can tell, though. You and Natsu have been close. Physically close."  
"Is there no privacy when it comes to you dragon slayers."  
"Scent is a powerful thing. And Natsu's smell is all over you."

Sting pulled her close to him, pressing her body against his. It had been a while since they were this close. They hardly touched each other during their mission. His mouth was just an inch away from hers. The air between them was warm. He noticed that Lucy didn't move as he held her. Usually, she really goes for it. Though, it didn't feel as though she were resisting.

"You came  _close_ , then?" Sting said, heavily implying something intimate.  
"That's none of your business," she whispered back.  
"What did he do to you?"  
Lucy paused. "He was gentle," Lucy said.  
"Do you prefer it gentle?"  
She didn't answer.  
Sting closed the gap between their lips, but he didn't kiss her.

Instead, he spoke: "Rough, then?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	9. The Calling

Lucy refused to sleep with Sting, in the end. She followed him to his room to receive the book, he made the moves on her, but at the last moment, she pushed him away and told him she couldn't do it. He was a little pissed off, but he wasn't surprised.

Lucy walked back towards her apartment. The middle of her chest was sinking with dread. At first, she tried as hard as she could to not think of anything, but obviously that sort of thing doesn't work. As she passed the river that ran by her street, she stopped a few blocks short of her apartment and sat down on the ledge that lined the river.

Lucy didn't sleep with Sting that night, but they got close. Very close. The realization of what she's doing sunk in. Technically, Lucy wasn't in a relationship with Sting or Natsu, so she wasn't cheating on anyone per se… But she also wasn't the type of woman to just sleep around. It was fine when she was just messing around with Sting as a way of getting over with Natsu. With Natsu back in the picture, whatever she ends up doing with Sting isn't just "messing around."

The easy answer should have been to resume pursuing Natsu because he was obviously returning her feelings. Natsu was responding to her physically, for sure, and he's catching up emotionally. This is what Lucy had wanted all along. And the whole guild pretty much expected it, especially after Natsu picked a fight with Sting. By all accounts, Lucy should choose Natsu. And now, everything was set up perfectly for it. She has feelings for him, he knows it and he seems to feel the same for her.

Even Sting was well aware of this, which was why their arrangement had no real strings attached. Sting didn't act as though he wanted to be her boyfriend or anything. If she wanted to stop seeing him, Lucy could have easily done so.

So why hasn't Lucy walked away from Sting yet? Lucy couldn't wrap her head around the reason. What troubled he the most about this was how easily she gives into Sting. Even when she's mad at him for undermining her abilities, even with Natsu is in the picture. When Lucy and Sting's bodies come into contact, everything else seems to fall away and she gets drawn in.

Lucy leaned over and buried her face into her palms. Why couldn't she choose? Why was she so intent on digging herself into this trap? The guilt and confusion got to her. Tears pushed their ways through the back of her eyelids. She started crying quietly, cursing herself for making a real mess out of her love life.

"Lucy?" said Natsu's voice.  
Lucy looked up to find him standing a few feet away from her. "Natsu, what are you doing here?"  
"Sting came to the guild for a drink, so I left," Natsu replied. "He seemed mad."

At first she said nothing because she couldn't think of anything to say. He was looking at her carefully, his nose slightly sniffing around her. His curious expression slowly turned into anger. It dawned on Lucy that she had been crying and Sting's smell was all over her. These were not good signs.

"Na… Natsu…" she said slowly getting up, trying not to startle him.

But it was too late. Natsu had dashed back towards the guild hall where he knew Sting was having a drink.

* * *

The second fight between Sting and Natsu wasn't as bad as the first. No one was seriously injured, nor were any buildings destroyed. But there was still damage to the guild hall and Mater Makarov was furious. He called Lucy, Natsu, and Sting into his office. Erza was already there, standing behind the master.

"All three of you need to leave," the master said, annoyed and frustrated. "Stay away from this building… No, stay away from this town!"  
"But where are we supposed to go?" Natsu asked.  
"I'm sending you three on a job that will take time to complete," Makarov said. "We need time to make repairs and I don't want another fight to make things worse. You two already know the city and Magic Council have their eyes on us."  
"But… All three of us?" Lucy said feeling a little nervous. "The two of them… and me?"  
Makarov gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Lucy," the master said. "I know you didn't do any of the damage, but these fights are obviously about you. I don't think they'll fight if you're with them. RIGHT?" Makarov glared at them, enlarging his head to highlight the point. The two dragon slayers hung their heads low and nodded. "Erza will come along as well," Makarov added.

As Sting, Lucy, and Natsu left the office, Makarov turned to Erza. "Keep an eye on Lucy," he said. "It's going to come down to her, in the end."

* * *

The job Makarov arranged involved multiple deliveries of supplies along the northwest tip of Fiore. The distance wasn't too bad, but because the group was traveling with two dragon slayers, they were limited to traveling solely on foot. The area itself was mostly forest and mountains with a few small towns and villages dotting the path. The towns and villages were fairly isolated, making some of their beliefs, customs, and culture rather unique compared to the rest of Fiore. At times it felt like a different world. Lucy enjoyed learning about the difference locales, but she had to admit there was something about being out in the boonies made her feel uneasy. She dismissed the thought. It could just be her unease with traveling with both Sting and Natsu at the same time, which has been strained to say the least. While the two didn't fight physically, there was notable tension in amongst them. Each time one of them inched any closer to Lucy, the other would tense up as though he were ready to do something in reaction. With Erza in the background, the two held whatever anger was flaring up, but only barely. Lucy stayed awkwardly in the middle.

Surprisingly, though, the trip to make the deliveries went without incident. The two dragon slayers begrudgingly kept their distance from each other, keeping silent most of the time with their anger sitting just below the surface. It took them a week to make the deliveries and it should take a few days for them to return.

It was raining the night that they made the last delivery so the four of them stayed at a tavern for the night before making the trip back home. They had dinner at the bar and the settled in for a few drinks. The air between Lucy, Sting, and Natsu continued to be heavy, even though they didn't say much to each other. It felt like one wrong word from one of them would lead to an explosion.

"What's wrong with them?" the bartender asked Erza as he handed her a pint.  
Erza looked at the three and let out a heavy sigh. "A lover's tiff, you could say."  
The bartender laughed. "If that's the case, you should warn those three!"  
"No, they'll be fine," Erza said putting her hand up in apology. "Hopefully those two boys aren't stupid enough to start another fight."  
"Oh no, it's not that. They better be careful on the road."  
"Why do you say that?" Erza asked curiously.  
"This area isn't as populated as it is in cities like the capital. It's not uncommon for travelers to fall prey to the tricks of the local deities. A lover's quarrel is perfect kind of fodder for their traps."  
"Deities? Surely, that's all just folktales."  
"It could be," the bartender acknowledged. "But I wouldn't be surprised if at least some of the stories are true. People have gone missing."  
Erza was still skeptical, but she could see that the bartender was being completely serious. "Well, we'll keep that in mind on our way back."

Erza signaled to the other three that they should head to their rooms for sleep. The exquip mage arranged for two rooms that were right next to each other. Lucy entered one of the rooms first. Sting was next coming up the stairs behind her.

"What are you doing?" Natsu said sharply.  
"Going to sleep," Sting bit back.  
"Not in Lucy's room, you're not!" Natsu said, his body getting heated.

Sting scowled in response. Things immediately began to crackle. Erza stood between them, pushing each of them aside.

"Lucy and I are sharing a room," Erza said firmly.  
Natsu looked at the extra room and then at Sting. "I'm not sharing a room with this guy!" Natsu said furiously.  
"It's either this or sleep outside," Erza said.  
Natsu paused, unsure of what to do. He definitely did not want to share a room, but he also didn't want to sleep outside on a night like this. Sting scoffed and headed back down to the lobby.  
"I'm getting my own room," Sting said coldly.

Natsu gave a look to Erza and headed into the other room. Rolling her eyes, Erza entered her own room where Lucy was sitting on her bed. Lucy looked very apologetic.

"Is everything okay?" Lucy asked quietly.  
"I think so," Erza replied.

Erza could tell Lucy was feeling bad about this situation. The blonde mage had been quiet the whole trip. Each time either Sting or Natsu tried to approach Lucy, she would thoroughly avoid them. Erza could see Lucy struggling with whatever is going on in her mind. Erza sat next to Lucy.

"Lucy," Erza said. "You know things can't go on this way."  
Lucy made a pained expression. "I know.. I just… I'm not sure what to do."  
"I don't know what's going on in your heart," Erza said gently. "Do what's right."

Lucy said nothing, but Erza could tell by the look on her face that the blonde mage struggled with "what's right" for her.

* * *

The following day, they set out for Magnolia. As with the rest of the trip, they walked in silence, though the tension between Sting, Lucy, and Natsu was as overbearing as ever. Lucy, for one, wanted desperately to get home and be alone. She knew the master wanted for the three of them to work things out, doing it this way was too awkward and too tense. Perhaps the heaviness was getting to Lucy because the more she lingered on it, the more she felt that unease she had when they first got to this area.

They were walking along the same road they came from, but there was something strange about it. It almost felt like a different road, which was odd because there was only one road to travel on. They were traveling in the right direction, but the further they went, the less familiar the road felt. It had different looking trees, different insects sounds. The air felt different too. It was slightly heavier, a little more humid. At first Lucy thought she had been inattentive the first time they passed by, but she's definitely felt something was wrong.

" _What's this?"_ echoed a voice that was both masculine and feminine. " _We can feel intense emotions calling out… Doubt, desire, confusion… All of them wrapping into one another in beautiful turbulence…"_

Lucy looked around. No one except Natsu, Sting, and Erza were in the immediate area. It looked as though Natsu and Sting had heard the voice as well. Erza, on the other hand, seemed to be unaware of what was going on.

" _Come to us…_ " the voice said again. " _Allow us to indulge…_ "

Lucy suddenly felt as though he were running out of air to breathe. Her neck started feeling tight. She clutched onto his throat. Looking over to Sting and Natsu, Lucy could see they were experiencing the same thing. Everything was going black. In the distance, Lucy could see Erza frantically saying something to them. Erza seemed to be fading further away.

" _Struggle in your emotions until you become ours…_ "

* * *

Makarov was sitting on the second floor of the guild hall overseeing the work being done to the hall. All of the repairs that needed to be done were cosmetic, but there was a lot of it that needed to be done. It's been a little over a week since Erza and the others left and Makarov had to admit it was nice having continual peace at the guild hall. He could only hope something good came out of forcing the three into a job together.

It was already evening when Makarov heard people shuffling around outside of the hall, the crowd outside seemed alarmed. Makarov heard Sting and Natsu's name being uttered. Afraid that the two came back prematurely and are fighting again, Makarov rushed down. Just as he reached the first floor, Wendy came in followed by Gray and Erza who between the two of them carried Sting, Lucy, and Natsu.

"What's going on?" the master asked.  
"We're not sure," Gray said. "Erza just came in with these three in a carriage. It looks like they're unconscious."

Erza and Gray laid Sting, Lucy, and Natsu on the ground. Makarov looked at them close. All of them had black marks wrapping around their necks. The marks almost looked strangulation marks, but the coloring was too black to be a bruise. A seal perhaps? Makarov kept staring at the marks. They do looking like something, but he can't quite recognize the shape. He turned to Erza.

"What did you see?" he asked.  
"We were walking and they were ahead of me," Erza explained. "Lucy stopped and looked like she was hearing and seeing things. Eventually, Sting and Natsu seemed to be experiencing the same thing. I didn't see any of it. I kept trying to say something to them, but it looked like they were having a hard time hearing me. After a few moments it looked like their bodies were becoming transparent. When they became fully materialized again, they were all unconscious."  
"Have they been unconscious this whole time?"  
"They came in and out of it during the ride here."

Makarov asked Wendy to do a quick check on them.

"Their vital signs are all normal," Wendy said. "Rather than saying they're unconscious, I think it's more like they're in a deep sleep."

To demonstrate Wendy shook Natsu on the shoulder vigorously. Natsu stirred, mumbled something, and then closed his eyes again.

Makarov nodded. He and Erza brought the three to Polyusica to be checked out. After a thorough examination, the three were put to bed while the former Edolas resident spoke with Makarov and Erza.

"I don't see anything physically wrong with them," Polyusica said. "Everything is normal except for this state of deep sleep. Each time I try to wake them up, they seem to be able to stay awake for a little longer, so the sleepiness may eventually wear off."  
"The marks," Makarov said. "That has to be something."  
"I agree," Polyusica said. "I don't know what they are. Without knowing what it is first, there isn't much any of us can do."

Makarov closed his eyes, thinking.

"The locals," Erza said remembering what the bartender had told her. "The bartender at one of the taverns said something about their deities playing tricks on travelers."  
"If their immediate health is fine, we won't have to send them to the hospital," the master said, turning to Erza. "I want you, Gray, and Happy to each look over Lucy, Sting, and Natsu. We'll try to contact that bartender you mentioned to see what we can find out."

Erza agreed, but felt uneasy. What really concerned her was the fact that it looked like they were disappearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the feedback for chapter 8 respectfully observed that chapter 8 was a little rough around the edges and I have to say that I do agree. I'm considering doing a revision some time. I just wanted to note that to let everyone know I do read every review and take comments into consideration.
> 
> Related to that, I think I'm going to need a beta reader. If you're interested in beta reading the rest of the chapters (not for spelling/punctuation, but to make sure the story makes sense and is not confusing), please let me know. 18 years or older, please. This is an M (to MA depending on where you're reading it) rated story, after all.


	10. Natsu's Dream

_"Struggle..._ " said the voice that was both male and female."  _Struggle with your emotions..._ "  
  
This was a dream, Natsu was pretty sure. It looked mostly real, but it didn't feel quite right. He also had this sensation of being in his body, but not having control over it. The part of him that was aware that this was a dream could only watch and experience whatever his dream-self decided to do. Natsu looked around. He was in Magnolia and the streets were pretty empty, possibly because it was raining. Only the area he stood in was materialized; everything else was dark and blurry. He was walking towards Lucy's apartment.   
  
Lucy appeared before him with a large umbrella. She smiled at him with her cheerful, casual smile. She teased he should use an umbrella because he would catch a cold. She invited him under. Natsu didn't care either way, but he joined her anyway. As they walked towards nowhere in particular, Natsu slung his arm over her shoulder chattering away about what they should do for the day. Go on a job? General adventuring? It probably didn't matter what they did. Natsu was happiest when he was with Lucy.  
  
A strong wind blew away the umbrella. They became drenched by the rain. Time seemed to slow down. Lucy wore a white tank top and a short, black pencil skirt. The wet fabric clung onto her skin and around her curves. Natsu could tell she was wearing a strapless black bra. Natsu looked down towards Lucy, his arm still around her shoulder. She had been looking at the ground for a long time as though she were thinking about something. She turned her head to face him, looking at him for a long time with that unfamiliar expression he'd seen in the past. Her lips seemed to pout at him. Natsu looked away feeling vaguely uncomfortable. The part of Natsu that knew this was a dream wondered why his dream self just stood there, doing nothing. From the corner of his eye he could see thin silvery lines form around her, but they seemed to disappear the next moment.  
  
The next thing Natsu knew, it was Sting who was standing in Natsu's place with his arm slung around Lucy. Whereas Natsu only stood there as Lucy gazed at him, Sting leaned down and took her lips. Natsu found himself distanced from that scene, standing a few paces away as a spectator.  
  
Before Natsu could get angry, he found himself standing next to Lucy again. Sting disappeared. This was a dream, Natsu had to remind himself.   
  
The rain got heavier. They were both dripping wet. Lucy stepped out from Natsu's arm and started running towards the guild hall. Natsu started laughing at her for being afraid of the rain. Lucy gave an annoyed response, but he could see that she was smiling as she spoke. By the time they got to the Fairy Tail building it was mostly empty. The people who were still there looked like they were ready to leave. Lucy grabbed a few towels from behind the bar, tossed one to Natsu, and headed to one of the small rooms in the back.  
  
The room she entered was actually a storage room filled with barrels alcohol, a few boxes, and a bench. A single light bulb hung overhead, providing a very dim light. Lucy sat on the bench to dry herself off. She peeled off her stockings, wrung out her hair, and ran the towel across her wet skin. Natsu watched her as she patted the towel against her neck, down her arms, down her legs, and in between her thighs. Lucy looked up at Natsu, noticing that he'd been watching her. The expression on her face gradually changed: eyes half lidded, cheeks flush, lips slightly parted. That look she had in her eyes when they were standing in the rain returned.   
  
“Natsu…” she whispered longingly.  
  
Gradually, the part of Natsu that knew this was a dream recognized that look in Lucy's eyes. She looked at him like that a number of times and each time he turned away because he knew they represented something different, something outside of their friendship. In this dream he wasn't in control so he couldn't turn away from her look. He knew that look to be lust, longing, and affection. And now, he was beginning to see something else: pain.  
  
" _Yes..._  " the voice echoed. " _I can feel your doubt._  "  
  
Again, Natsu was frozen in place. The self-conscious part of him again wondered why his dream-self did nothing. Suddenly, Sting stepped out from where Natsu was standing. Sting stood in front of Lucy, blocking her from Natsu's sight. The two blonds exchanged heated words. Lucy seemed annoyed, but she didn't tell Sting to leave. Sting got on his knees so that he was eye level with Lucy and started kissing her. His hands made their way to the bottom of Lucy shirt and slipped underneath the fabric. Sting eased her shirt above her chest and removed her bra, letting it drop to the ground. Lucy closed her eyes, letting Sting explore her body, while Natsu just stood there. It seemed the longer Natsu stood there doing nothing, the less of a presence he had, almost as if he were fading away.  
  
Eventually, much to Natsu’s relief, his dream-self began to move. The pink haired mage walked over, but rather than pull her away from Sting, he stood behind the bench directly behind her. Natsu leaned over, kissed Lucy on the lips. He gently pulled Lucy's shirt over her head. Lucy turned her face up towards him, her hands reach out to pull Natsu close to her. Natsu's hands traveled down the length of her body, caressing her ample breasts. From the corner of his eye, Natsu could see Sting sliding Lucy's skirt and underwear down her legs. Sting trailed kisses from the top of her foot and up her legs. The blond dragon slayer looked up at Natsu, a defiant smirk crossed his face as he continued his kisses into her inner thighs. Natsu began to burn with anger, but looking down he could see Lucy was enjoying it. Natsu was drawn to the look on Lucy's face, marveling at how beautiful she looked when she was feeling pleasure. Natsu himself got into the act, trailing kisses all around her upper body, deeply inhaling the scent of earthen fruit and the scent of her arousal.  
  
Sting stood up and boldly removed his clothing. If it was going to be like that, Natsu had to take up that challenge. The fire dragon slayer walked over to the front of the bench next to Sting and took of his own clothing. Sting picked Lucy up into his arms and sat on the bench. He guided her so that she was up on her knees on the bench, but was facing Natsu. Sting reached under her, lightly touching her pleasure spot. Lucy bit her lip, holding back her response to his touch. Natsu could see Sting's finger moisten from touching Lucy there. Sting brought the wet finger to his mouth and tasted her, letting out a sound of approval as he did so. Natsu focused on Lucy's look of pleasure as Sting made his moves. He could hear the sound of Sting fiddling with a condom wrapper. Slowly, Sting guided her on top of him, sliding himself inside of her. Lucy moaned loudly in response, her body involuntarily arching her back.   
  
The part of Natsu that knew this was a dream tightened with anger, knowing that Sting was the one giving pleasure to Lucy.  Natsu leaned down over Lucy. He put his hand on the back of her head, running his fingers through her moist hair. He tilted her head towards him and kissed her forcefully. Lucy moaned into his mouth, encouraging him to be more active. Natsu straightened up and tentatively presented his erection to her.   
  
Lucy looked up at him. She lifted herself up off of Sting so that she could reach Natsu's neck with her mouth. She kissed him gently on the neck and slowly made her way down the rest of his body, lowering herself back onto Sting as she moved lower.  Her fingertips lightly traced the surface of his chest and abs. His skin seemed to melt under the touch of her fingertips. The pleasure seemed to intensify when her lips followed the way down. When her kisses finally arrived to the area of his erection, she kissed closely around it, teasing Natsu to good effect. The feel of her warm breath against the skin of his penis made Natsu tense with anticipation.  
  
Natsu looked down as Lucy used her hands to guide his manhood to her lips. She gave a slow, deliberate kiss to the tip before showering more light kisses down its length. She then wrapped her lips around him, sliding all of him into her mouth. Natsu tilted his head back, closing his eyes in pleasure. He could tell by the bounce of Lucy's body that Sting was moving in and out of her again. Conscious once again about Sting's presence, Natsu could feel the rage rise inside of him. The impulse to seriously hurt Sting rose again, but that desire was tempered by the incredible pleasure that Lucy was giving him. The feel of himself in her warm, moist mouth just felt so damn good. Lucy looked up at Natsu, moaning in pleasure. Did she moan because of Sting or because of what she was doing to Natsu?  
  
" _Who is it that you doubt?_  " the voiced asked again. " _Her? Or the other one?_  "  
  
Natsu could feel Sting move forcefully inside of Lucy. She moaned, turning her head slightly to face Sting as if in approval.  _No, look at me_ , Natsu thought. He used both hands to turn her head towards him, wanting her attention. She obliged, sucking on him once more. The air in the room was thick with the smell of their sex. The smell of burning embers, spiced rum, and earthen fruit all intermingled until none of it was distinguishable from the others.   
  
" _Or do you doubt your choices? Your inaction?_ "  
  
 _Just shut up!_  Natsu's mind screamed at the voice. So many thoughts and emotions raced in Natsu's mind. Anger mixed with pleasure. A desire to stop Sting battled with the desire to keep going with Lucy. Natsu was bewildered about what he wanted to do. Yet despite it all, the tension in their bodies continued to build as all three moved faster and harder. Natsu could feel himself rapidly approaching climax. He closed his eyes, moving his hips against her mouth in a fast, but carefully controlled manner.   
  
"Oh god," Natsu said, feeling weak in the knees. Natsu opened his eyes, wanting to see Lucy as he came. He saw more silver lines appear all around him in a flash. Startled, Natsu tried to move, but found himself completely frozen. There was a tightness around his neck that seemed to get stronger and stronger until he felt like he could no longer breathe. He was being suffocated...  
  
" _These beautiful emotions..._  " the voice said as it faded away. " _... Will be mine..._  "

* * *

Natsu woke up gasping. Happy was in front of him, looking at him sheepishly.  
  
“Natsu is a pervert!” the exceed squealed before flying out the window. "Come to the guild hall when you're ready!"  
  
The pink haired mage watched his friend fly towards the guild hall, feeling a little confused.   
  
So it was a dream, after all.   
  
Whenever he recalled his dreams, they were usually fragmented recollections. This dream, however, was incredibly vivid. It felt   _real_  to him. Even now his body was still responding to the things that happened in that dream. His muscles were still tense, ready to knock someone out. He was feeling so  _angry_! Perhaps what was even more strange was that he also felt the linger effects of pleasure from having Lucy go down on him. Natsu felt his cheeks turn red just thinking about it. Looking down at himself, he could actually see his body’s response. The look in her eyes as she looked up at him... Natsu shook his head, trying not to have more dirty thoughts about her... Still he couldn't help wondering...  
  
Natsu looked around and found that he was at home, in bed. He could tell that he'd been in and out of sleep for a while now, though most of the time he was asleep. His last clear memory was of walking back towards Magnolia after finishing those deliveries. Something had happened on the road, but... he couldn't quite remember. There was a voice... or was it two voices? As he heard that voice call out to him, he felt like he was running out of air before blacking out. There were flashes of a nauseating ride on a carriage and also being at Polyusica's. He tried to think about what had happened when he heard that voice, but his head began to hurt just thinking about it.    
  
He felt exhausted, but was otherwise fine. Natsu was pretty sure that if Happy was telling him to go to the guild hall that Sting would also be there, which Natsu did not want to deal with. However... Lucy would probably be there also. Natsu had to admit he was curious to see her again.

* * *

Erza, Gray, and Happy met at Makarov's office to report how the night went. Happy sat there with a knowing grin on his face, while Erza and Gray sat there looking incredibly uncomfortable.  
  
"I've contacted the bartender from the tavern you mentioned, Erza," Makarov said. "He said he would get the word out that we were looking for information on their local gods and deities based on your description of what happened. We should expect some information to come in via mail."  
  
The master looked over at Erza, Gray, and Happy wondering why all three of them were being noticeably quiet.  
  
"Well?" Makarov said expectantly. "Did anything out of the ordinary happen?"  
"...Nothing  _happened_ ," Erza said, not looking at the master in the eye. "When Lucy woke up this morning, she said she was feeling really tired, but was otherwise okay to move around…"  
"I get the feeling there's something you want to say," the master said.  
"Lucy was..." Erza began, though it was clear that she was struggling to find words. "She was asleep the whole time I was there, but..." Erza coughed out loud. "... she was making noises... moaning noises... I don't know if that's out of the ordinary."  
The master let out an uncomfortable cough. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't call that uncommon for young people..."  
"Natsu too!" Happy interjected. "He was having a dirty dream. I can tell because of the noise he was making."  
  
Erza, Gray, and the Master perked up at hearing Happy's observation. Erza and the Master looked to Gray expectantly.  
  
"Same with Sting," Gray said. "He was making those sounds in his sleep..."  
  
The four of them looked at each other knowing there was something going on.

* * *

Natsu entered the guild hall. He immediately noticed Lucy sitting at the bar while Sting was on the second floor. Both Sting and Lucy looked as exhausted as Natsu felt. The two blonds were hardly looking at each other, though Natsu could see a deep red blush on Lucy's face. Sting looked down at Natsu from his spot and gave him a defiant smirk. Natsu felt his anger rise up inside of him, even though Sting wasn't doing anything to him or Lucy specifically. But that look on Sting's face... It was the exact same smirk he gave Natsu in that dream and it was pissing Natsu off! He looked over to Lucy who was watching him apprehensively. She seemed to know trouble was brewing in her best friend, almost as if she knew exactly what was on his mind. Natsu knew it had only been a dream, but it was so real that he couldn't help but feel that Sting really did do those things to Lucy. The image of Sting's hands all over Lucy's body, invading her like that burned in Natsu's memory. He really couldn't help it with an image like that stuck in his head. He started walking towards Sting with heavy, menacing steps, flames engulfing his body. He made to the second floor, stood in front of Sting and grabbed him by the collar. Sting only looked at him with a cocked eyebrow.  
  
"Natsu, stop!" Lucy said standing up from her seat. "It was just a dre-" Lucy stopped mid-sentence as both Sting and Natsu froze in place because they both knew exactly what she was going to say.   
"It was just a dream," the three of them said in unison.  
  
Natsu could see Lucy stare at him and Sting with disbelief. Natsu hadn't told anyone about that dream, so why did Lucy seem to know that he was getting angry at Sting because of it? Even Sting's reactions to Natsu's anger suggested that he knew. Lucy walked up to the second floor with them.  
  
"What was a just a dream?" Natsu asked. "What did you dream?"  
The blush on Lucy's cheeks deepened. "The three of us," she said gesturing towards the back room. "In there... We..."  
"We had a three way," Sting finished. "I got her from behind while you got her from the front."  
Natsu glared at Sting for his unwelcomed interjection.  
"Oh please," Sting said rolling his eyes. "It's not like we actually did it."  
"So... We had the same dream?" Lucy wondered.   
"Seems like it," Natsu said.  
  
The three of them sat down, thinking about what was going on. Natsu wondered if the other two heard the voice that in the dream as well. Somehow, thinking about this was making Natsu feel exhausted.  
  
"Did you two hear a voice in that dream?" Natsu asked.   
"The voice from when we were traveling back to Magnolia?" Lucy asked, to which Natsu nodded. "I did hear it once. It said something about struggling with emotions."  
"Was that all?" Natsu said, looking at both Sting and Lucy, both of whom nodded.  
  
Natsu felt a little relieved knowing that some of the things the voice said during that dream was only heard by him. Although he knew that the voice they were hearing was playing at something, he couldn't help but wonder what those words actually meant, especially if he was the only who heard it. He didn’t like keeping secrets from Lucy, but somehow he didn’t want her to know that he has been having his share of doubt, even though he himself wasn’t exactly sure what he was doubting.  
  
"That voice and the dream are definitely related..." Lucy said, sounding more and more tired with each word.  
  
Natsu watched as Lucy gradually rested her head on the table and fell back asleep. He looked over to Sting, who had done the same. Natsu's own eyes felt really heavy. He couldn’t even get himself to utter that he agreed before falling back asleep.

* * *

The master, Erza, Gray, and Happy went to the main room of the guild hall where they knew Sting and Lucy were waiting. They didn't see Lucy at the bar where they left her, but they caught a glimpse of pink on the second floor. That's where they spotted the three. Sting, Lucy, and Natsu had fallen asleep with their heads on the table. The master walked up to Natsu and nudged him on the shoulder.  
  
"Wake up," Makarov said.  
Natsu opened his eyes just a little. "Just a minute," he mumbled before going back to sleep.   
"They still seem like they're okay aside from the sleeping," the master said. "However..."  
  
Makarov turned Natsu slightly to get a better look at his neck. The marks on Natsu's neck, as well as the ones on Sting and Lucy, changed a little. The outline of the shape was just a little clearer than it had been the day before, but the master couldn't quite make out what it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments: I'm still hoping for a beta, but the story will go on even if I don't find one. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed.


	11. Lucy's Dream

After finding Sting, Lucy, and Natsu asleep on the second floor of the guild hall, the master arranged for three beds to be set up in one of the large rooms in the back of the building. It was clear that all three were being affected by the same thing and that if one fell asleep, the other two would follow. Keeping them at the guild hall while they were under this condition would just make it easier to keep an eye on them.  
  
For the next few days, volunteers rotated with Erza, Gray, and Happy in watching the three as they slept, though it was mostly Erza and Gray who kept guard. Sting, Lucy, and Natsu would wake up momentarily, but fall back into a deep and quiet sleep. From time to time Wendy would check on their physical health, which has been clear of any issues so far.  
  
The master continued to receive information from the locals of the northwest end of Fiore. The response to his request was surprisingly strong. Apparently there have been other incidents of strange things happening to both locals and travelers alike. Makarov was most concerned about how many of these people have gone missing. If what Erza said about Sting, Lucy, and Natsu’s bodies looking like they’re fading away, then disappearance is a likely end. It wouldn’t be until a week after the trio initially came back that he was able to sift out answers for them.  
  
Makarov entered their room where all were sitting up in their beds looking exhausted.  
  
"Based on the information we received, we’re probably dealing with a being called Tilus,” Makarov told the three. “It's described as a supernatural being that is neither good, nor evil and is both masculine and feminin. It feeds on strong emotions, so people in strained relationships are often targeted, usually through a disappearance. We don’t know what Tilus looks like or how it operates, unfortunately, so we’ll still have to continue keeping a watch on you three. I might send a team out back to the area you were ‘attacked’ to see what we can find."  
  
Makarov placed a large file containing various letters and indicated that they were free to read through them if they wanted.  
  
"As far as you three are concerned, it’s pretty obvious what Tilus is targeting." the master said.  
"Do we even know it's the case?” Natsu asked. “These are just local legends."  
"Enough of the details fit your situation. It's better than just sitting around doing nothing. It's a lead. And it looks like the easiest way to deal with Tilus is to resolve your personal issues."  
Lucy looked away. "... Resolving are personal issues isn't as easy as that...” she said. “Forcing it might make things worse."  
There was a long pause before the master spoke.  "I understand what you're saying, Lucy. I just want you to know that what we’re dealing with is serious because we’re dealing with a lot of guessing and unknowns."  
  
Lucy sat back against her bed, which was situated in between Sting and Natsu’s beds. She darted glances at them from the corners of her eyes. They looked so tired.

* * *

_A dream,_ Lucy thought. _I’m supposed to be staying at the guild hall.  
  
_ Lucy found herself at her apartment. Outside, she could see that it was nighttime. As with the first dream, Lucy was experiencing that same sensation of being there, but not having any control over herself. However, this dream appeared was not the same blurry, half materialized world as before. Everything was clear and fully materialized.  
  
“ _Is it a dream?_ ” the voice questioned, speaking directly into Lucy’s mind. “ _Or is it a vision? A reflection? Or something else?_ ”  
  
Lucy stepped out of the shower and slipped into a t-shirt and underwear and headed for the couch. She wrapped herself in an extra blanket and settled in with a book for some pre-bed reading. She'd read one chapter before there was a knock at the door.  
  
It was her boyfriend: the dragon slayer.  
  
She told him she was surprised he came by, but that she was glad to see him. Did he want something to eat? No, he was tired. He just wanted to see her. Lucy smiled at him and led him to the couch. They can just relax on the couch, then. Lucy guided him onto the couch, sat on his lap, and draped the blanket over them. They started chatting about something. The Lucy who knew this was a dream wasn’t sure about it, but it was a nice, playful conversation, during which Natsu slung his arm over her shoulders, laughing about something or other. Lucy clutched onto him. Something about being with him like this was utterly familiar and comfortable. Sitting there in his strong arms, enjoying the warmth from his body, Lucy began to doze off feeling very happy.  
  
Lucy wasn't sure how long she'd been napping, but she blearily woke up to the sound of his snoring. Awake, but too lazy to move around, Lucy looked at him closely. The spiky hair, the scar, that look on his face. He's cute when he sleeps, Lucy thinks to herself. Very peaceful, almost vulnerable looking. Yawning, Lucy shifted slightly so that she could wrap her arms around Sting’s neck and kiss him. It really hadn't been long since they saw each other last, but there are some days where their appetite for each other was insatiable. Lucy was in the mood. It's probably okay if she just took what she wanted, right?  
  
She stroked his cheek gently to wake him up. As Natsu stirred, he looked at her with an expression of pleasant surprise. Lucy shifted so that she was straddling his lap. She leaned over to kiss him, tugging on his lower lip with her teeth playfully.  The feel of his hands sneaking up under shirt and finding their way to her breasts encouraged her. She lifted her hips. The blanket that surrounded them fell in a pool around her knees and his hips. The curve of her bottom invited Sting’s hands to the hemline of her underwear. A single finger slipped underneath the fabric, touched her, made her wet. Lucy let out a breath of pleasure in response to his delicate touch. Still holding herself up, Lucy reached down and loosened his pants so she could pull out his erect penis. She lowered her hips onto him as he held the fabric of her underwear to the side so Natsu could slide into her.  
  
Lucy wrapped her arms behind his neck, holding his face so that it was close to hers. She liked moving slow against him to start. She savored the feel of him inside of her, the feeling of fullness he gave her. As she moved up and down on Sting, she could hear in his erratic breath and feel in his still hands that he was holding himself back, letting her take control. Oh, she enjoyed that. She enjoyed knowing that he was enjoying her and that he wanted more of her. Looking into his eyes, she could see they were dilated and deep with desire. Lucy reveled in these little signs in his body. It was satisfying. She moved a little faster and more deliberately, she held Natsu close to her. Their lips touched, but they didn't kiss. It was just another point where his skin touched her skin. They shared the same breath of warm, musty air. Lucy could feel the tension build up in him. She kept moving, purposefully pushing him further until Sting couldn't take it.  
  
Natsu suddenly pulled her off of him with a low groan. He said something about needing a condom. The hastily headed over to her bed and immediately started peeling off each other’s clothing. He playfully pushed her onto the bed.  Hovering over her, he kissed her along the length of her body. He stopped at her clit, massaging it, tasting it. Lucy let out a quiet moan as she reached down to touch the back of his head, running her fingers through his spiky hair.  
  
It was nice having this kind of attention being paid to her, but she was in a taking mood. Lucy sat up and pushed Sting onto his back. She reached over for a condom, put it on him, and guided herself onto his penis while sitting up. She resumed moving against him at a fast pace. Leaning down towards him, Lucy kissed him urgently.  
  
It wasn't just the sex that was so good. There was also the distinct feeling that she didn't have to hold back. She was free to love this man whenever she wanted, however she wanted.  
  
Lucy shifted on top of him, finding the position that best stimulated her pleasure spot as he moved against him. Looking down at his face, the part of Lucy that knew that this was a dream couldn’t quite make out his features anymore. She kept going, nonetheless. She could feel herself getting closer and closer to climax, her body movement getting more raw and ragged. Her hands held onto the back of his shoulders, fingers clawing into his skin. The words "I love you," sat on her lips, ready to be spoken, but it came out as a wordless breath of air as she climaxed quietly.  
  
Lucy lay on her back while he wrapped himself around her. She stared at the ceiling as he slept peacefully. Lucy wasn’t sure which man she was with right now and the feeling was a little unsettling. In the corners of the room, the silver lining of a spider web shone in the moonlight.

* * *

The flush in her cheeks was still lingering the next day when she eyed both Sting and Natsu as they sat at opposite ends of the guild hall from each other. Lucy didn’t want to talk to Sting and Natsu about their dreams, really. It was a little uncomfortable and would potentially start another fight between them. But there was something about this last dream that bother her. She dreamt of spending the night with her “boyfriend”, but that boyfriend would change between being Sting and Natsu throughout the dream.  
  
Lucy gestured to Natsu to follow her up to the second floor where Sting was having a drink. Under normal circumstances, Natsu would resist going anywhere near Sting, but given the present situation he gave in. Plus they were all too tired to really get worked up about anything.  
  
“Did you guys have another dream?” Lucy asked. “One involving all three of us.”  
Both Sting and Natsu nodded at her.  
“What was it like for you two? This dream was different from the last because there was only one person, but both of you were part of it. Which one of you was with me?”  
“I was,” the two dragon slayers said in unison. Both Sting and Natsu glared at each other upon hearing each other’s answers.  
“Who did you think was with you?” Natsu asked.  
“I’m not sure," Lucy said. “Both of you were there, at different times. Towards the end I’m not so sure. It could have been both of you at the same time, or neither of you at all. It was unclear. Did you guys feel like you were there the whole time?”  
“No,” Natsu said. “I felt like I was fading in and out of that dream.”  
“Was that how it was for you?” Lucy asked Sting. He nodded.  
  
Lucy stared at him for a while, noticing how quiet he’d been for the past few days. He looked so tired. In fact, they all did. Whatever Tilus was doing, it was draining them of their energy. Seeing them like this made Lucy feel a little useless. She couldn’t get herself to agree with the master that they should just resolve this issue they’ve got, but she can’t offer any alternatives to solving the problem. She watched as Natsu and Sting went their separate ways tiredly. Their shoulders were slumping a little.  
  
As guilt sank in again, Lucy felt her eyes get heavy.

* * *

Lucy woke up clutching her neck, breathing heavily. The mark around her neck was burning. She quickly glanced at the mirror across the room that she was sharing with Sting and Natsu. The mark clearly looked like a spider wrapping its leg around her neck. It was glowing read. She could hear the sound of something smoldering beneath them. Lucy got off her bed to see what it was.  
  
There was a crack in the ground that was steadily reaching across the floor. There was a low rumble as black lava oozed out from the expanding cracks. She could hear the sound of something or someone working its way up towards opening in the ground. Spider legs began to emerge from the ground. They were thin, black, and incredibly long.  
  
 _Where are Erza and Gray?_ Lucy wondered. She looked around her. The two mages in question were sitting at their posts, acting as if nothing were happening. Couldn't they see that they were being attacked?! Knowing that there was something wrong, Lucy looked back at the bed to see if Natsu and Sting noticed what was going on. She gasped at what she saw. On the beds were Sting, Natsu, and herself laying as though they were still asleep.  
  
" _You're entering my realm,_ " the voice echoed, speaking directly to her mind. " _Things are different here. Your friends can't help you._ "  
  
Were they dreaming again? The dreams they had felt so real, now she couldn’t tell one from the other. On instinct Lucy reached for her hip where her keys would normally be, but she grabbed onto nothing. She realized she keeps her keys underneath her pillow when she sleeps. She needed to grab hold of her keys! Lucy dashed towards the bed where her actual body was laying asleep.  
  
From the crack, a large shadowy figure emerged. The figure had a human upper body and a lower spider body. The human looking portion looked like a composite of both a man’s body and woman’s body. The face of the figure from certain angles looked like a woman’s face and from other angles looked like a man’s face.  
  
" _The vulnerable one is first to go,_ ” the figure said, its voice echoing throughout the room. Its arms extended out rapidly towards Lucy’s direction. Lucy braced herself, knowing that she was probably the weakest.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Lucy looked up to the sight of Sting being dragged across the room by the neck. He was unconscious. The mark around his neck was larger, clearer and more elaborate compared to Lucy's.  
  
"Sting!" Lucy yelled scrambling towards him.  
  
She reached and grabbed hold of his leg, using all of her strength to pull him back, but it was too late. The spider legs pulled Sting’s body down through the ooze and into the crack. Lucy was left crumpled on the ground, staring at the crack, which remained open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few more chapters to go. Thanks for reading, reviewing, and/or kudos!


	12. Choices

Lucy remained on the ground next to the crack. She couldn't do much about a surprise attack in their sleep, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was responsible. Sting was the vulnerable one? She couldn't quite figure it out.

Lucy turned to where Erza and Gray were sitting in chairs across from the bed. They were supposed to be guarding Lucy, Sting, and Natsu, but they didn't seem to notice the giant crack on the ground that was oozing with black lava-like goop. Lucy, Sting, and Natsu's bodies were still on the beds, sleeping peacefully.

Lucy walked over to Erza and Gray. "Hey!" she said as loudly as she could. She began waving her arms wildly, stomping her feet, and anything else she could think of to get their attention, to no avail. "You guys!" she yelled again, this time reaching to nudge Erza on the shoulder, but her hand went completely through the scarlet haired mage. Lucy let out a gasp of surprise. Her eyes darted to where her body was. She dashed over and tried to reach for her keys, which were hidden under the pillow. Her hand went through the material of the pillow. Lucy's heart sank. What was she without her keys?

Something in the air shifted. Lucy took a few steps back from the bed and looked around the room. She noticed that the colors in the room were becoming muted, everything was slowing down. Erza, Gray, and the three sleeping bodies felt distant. It was as if she were looking at another world.

As Lucy began to piece together what was going on, she felt a presence behind her. Looking over her shoulder was Natsu, who was also looking at the crack in the ground.

"Did you see what happened?" Lucy asked.  
"No," Natsu answered. "I just woke up."

They both looked over the row of beds where Natsu, Lucy, and Sting's bodies were still sleeping.

"I think we're dreaming," Lucy said. "And those bodies over there are our bodies in real life." Lucy turned towards Natsu. "Sting..." she said. "He was taken and dragged through that crack... Natsu, we have to go get him."

Natsu said nothing for a long time.

"Natsu," Lucy said again. "We need to go help Sting."

Natsu's silence was telling. With Erza and Gray completely unaware of what was going on, Natsu was the only one who could help her right now. Besides, he was always the first person she would depend on. Despite his lack of common sense, Lucy knew he was completely dependable, especially when it came to this kind of situation. However, she also knew Natsu had no reason to rescue to Sting. The two could barely be in the same room as each other. Getting Natsu to help her find Sting would be too much to ask of him... Lucy also couldn't shake off the feeling that what was happening was her fault.

Lucy turned away from Natsu and looked at the crack again. "I'll... I'll go," she said as she stood up. "Stay here just in case something else happens with our bodies..."

Natsu watched Lucy as she thought about how she was going to rescue Sting on her own. Under any other circumstance, he would have gone with her, if that was what she wanted. But Sting... Natsu couldn't find it in himself to volunteer to save Sting. He had no desire to do so.

On the other hand, whatever was beyond the crack in the ground was probably dangerous. Lucy also didn't have her keys. Despite all of that, the concern on Lucy's face was clear. She was absolutely going to try and help Sting.

Natsu sighed. No matter how much he resented Sting, Natsu just couldn't say no to her.

* * *

The world beyond the crack in the ground was a rocky, barren terrain. They found themselves on a single path wedged in-between two parallel cliffs that were about ten feet apart. Above them brilliant streams of color showered across a darkened sky. The air felt thick, everything was in a haze. Time seemed to move in slow motion. Lucy and Natsu didn't know exactly where to go or what they would do when they go there. But they did know that Tilus was probably expecting them.

Natsu made clear to Lucy that he wasn't really there to save Sting, but he wanted to make sure she was safe. Natsu lead the way so he could be on the lookout for danger ahead of them. They walked and they walked and they walked. Time and space felt different here. Lucy wasn't sure how much time had passed or how far they had walked. Where were they going, exactly? Lucy didn't know, but she felt like they were going towards the right place.

There was something else that was odd about being in this world. Her emotions felt... It felt like they were more than real. The apprehension and worry she was feeling right now seemed to sink deeper than normal. It felt like it spread all over her skin and latched onto every cell in her body. She was very aware of her own emotions. It was as if they were screaming at her, wanting to be noticed.

Natsu seemed to notice that she was worried because he turned back towards her and reached for her hand, holding on tightly. The feel of their skin touching caused Lucy to jolt with surprise. Resentment, confusion, doubt, and affection came rippling through her body. These emotions weren't her own. Were they Natsu's?

Lucy snatched her hand back in response, holding onto it as though she'd just been burned. She looked at Natsu, eyes wide with an expression that looked like fear.

Lucy's sudden movements surprised Natsu. He looked at her, unsure about what just happened, his heart sinking at Lucy's reaction to his touch.

Time came to a standstill. The world began to separate into opposite, but parallel directions with Lucy moving away from Natsu. Lucy was a distance away from Natsu. She was standing frozen, that same scared expression was still on her face. "Lucy!" Natsu yelled, reacting to the fact that they had been separated. Natsu moved to dash towards her, but that he couldn't move. "Lucy!" he yelled again. "I'm coming to get you!" Natsu struggled more, trying to push his body harder to get to Lucy. Why wasn't he moving?!

Natsu looked down at his body and noticed the silvery strands of a spider web wrapping around him. Although the threads of the web looked delicate, they were strong enough to keep him bound in his spot, away from Lucy.

"Your desire to be by the girl's side is quite considerable," Tilus said in one male voice.

Natsu looked up. Standing directly in front of him was Tilus, though the upper body only had the male portion of the creature.

"It's hardly a conscious desire," Tilus continued. "It's all instinct."  
"What did you do?!" Natsu yelled. "Where's Lucy?"

Natsu asked the question despite the fact that he could clearly see Lucy a distance away. He could feel that she was somewhere entirely separate from where he currently was.

"In our realm," Tilus answered. "Just as you are."  
"Is this a dream?"  
"If you want to call it that. In the world that you inhabit-the material world, the rational world-we do not have the same powers. Our world-this immaterial world-runs on dreams, memories, emotions. Whether you want to consider this world real is up to you. You humans are the providers of the emotions, dreams, and memories that this world lives on."

Natsu glanced over to Lucy again, ignoring Tilus. It didn't look as though Lucy moved in all this time. She didn't appear to be in any danger, but he did not like that look on Lucy's face. He couldn't quite describe it, but he knew Lucy wasn't feeling happy and he hated to see Lucy feel anything but happy. Natsu needed to get to her as fast as possible. He made a move again towards her, but was forced down by an invisible force.

"Let me go!" Natsu yelled. "I need to get to Lucy!"  
"Be patient, my friend-"  
"Shut up!" Natsu interrupted in a sudden rage. He broke free from the webs, surprising even Tilus. Looking towards Tilus, Natsu drew in a large breath. "Fire dragon's roar!" He yelled, expecting a large explosion of fire to shoot out of his mouth. Instead, nothing happened. He fell to the ground feeling completely drained of his magic.  
"Your magic will not work here," Tilus warned. "But do not worry, you'll join your friend soon enough."  
"Lucy is worried," Natsu said, continuing to struggle. "I need to get to her now!"  
"You act as though you are single-mindedly focusing on protecting her, but I know beneath that focus are your unsettled feelings." Tilus looked over to Lucy, who was still frozen in place. "You felt it, didn't you? When your hands touched, you felt her emotions. Yes, there was worry. Yes, there was fear. But there was something else that you felt, but you didn't want to acknowledge."  
"Shut up!" Natsu yelled, closing his eyes tightly.  
"Guilt," Tilus said in one decisive syllable. "You may have known that she has been feeling guilty, but what is this guilt all about? I think you don't want to explore the possibilities, so you don't think about it. You only think about her. And..."

Natsu growled, trying get out, but found himself forced down onto the ground by more spider webs. The things Tilus was suggesting was very close to the truth, which made Natsu feel very uneasy.

"That other man..." Tilus observed. "Your desire to get him out of the picture is almost as deep as your desire for the girl. You know that her guilt is in some way related to him. It is on that count that I wished to speak with you. Perhaps we can be of service."  
"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.  
"Tell the girl that you found him dead. We can even conjure an image of his death for her to see if she needs proof, but I doubt she would need that if the news was coming from you. He is out of your picture and the girl will be all yours."  
"What do you want in return?" Natsu asked suspiciously.  
"We get him," Tilus said simply.  
"How can I be sure that I can trust you?" Natsu asked.  
"You can't be sure," Tilus said. "But you know we have the power to make anything happen, especially while you're in our realm."

Natsu looked at Tilus, thinking seriously about the proposition. It was tempting. Very tempting. As far as Natsu was concerned, Sting was nothing but bad news. With him out of the picture, things can go back to the way they used to be. Natsu and Lucy would go back to being best friends. … And maybe Natsu can try having the relationship Lucy wants to have. At one point he would have given it a try, but Sting was obviously in the way...

Natsu could feel the word "Yes," sitting at the bottom of his throat ready to come out in an instinctive reply.

But then he thought about it.

He thought about Lucy.

If it hadn't been for Sting, Natsu never would have acknowledged that Lucy wanted something more than friendship. Natsu wouldn't have dared to respond to her physical needs, or his own needs for that matter. If something did happen to Sting, Lucy would probably blame herself and be sad for a long time. An image of a crying Lucy flashed in Natsu's mind. His insides twisted up in response. He couldn't do that to her...

Natsu didn't give a damn about Sting, but for Lucy's sake, he would let that chump live.

Just as Natsu came to that decision, the world converged again. Natsu quickly glanced over towards Lucy, but before he could lay eyes on her again, everything went black.

* * *

Lucy looked around, confused. Just a second ago she was walking next to Natsu. He held her hand, but she snatched it away. And then after that... Lucy's eyes immediately began searching for Natsu. First Sting, now Natsu? What good is she? She found Natsu at an indeterminable distance away from her. The landscape he was standing on was exactly like hers, but separate, in a different place.

Tilus appeared before her, the upper portion of its body was only the female form. Tilus watched Lucy carefully, expectantly. Lucy said nothing, but her eyes were fixed on the deity with narrowed eyes.

"Who will you ask for first?" Tilus asked, a slight smile on her face. "The man with the pink hair or the man with the blond hair?"  
"Both," Lucy answered firmly.  
"You say that, but we both know there's a deeper meaning to that question..."  
Lucy only stared back at Tilus.  
"Choose to be silent, if you must," Tilus said. "Just know that the more you struggle, the deeper into the trap you fall."

Lucy involuntarily looked straight into Tilus' eyes, as though Tilus itself willed Lucy to do it.

_It will already be too late when you realize it._

Lucy could feel the world around her converge. She and Natsu were side by side again. They were barely able to look at each other before the ground began to shake. Tilus' final words had echoed directly into Lucy's mind. The voice was deep and foreboding: a warning.

"Natsu!" she called out as a warning, but it was too late.

In a matter of seconds, Tilus, who was back to its male/female form, appeared in between Lucy and Natsu. Long spidery legs sprung out, grabbing each mage by the neck and roughly pinned them against the sides of the cliffs opposite each other. Spider webs shot out as well and , wrapped around Lucy and Natsu's arms and legs.

The sound of Tilus' masculine and feminine laughter echoed through the sky.

"So much left unspoken between you two!" Tilus chuckled delightfully. "I can just eat it all up!"

Tilus' grip tightened around her neck. Lucy could feel her neck bruising. The webs the wrapped around her arms and legs got tighter and tighter as she struggled. From across the path she could see Natsu struggling. Blood streamed down from where the spider webs were cutting into his skin. Natsu couldn't use his magic, he couldn't muscle his way out of this one without having an arm or a leg sliced off by the spider webs. Lucy looked around helplessly. This was all her fault... But what could she do? If Natsu couldn't do anything, what could she possibly do?

Lucy's mind raced for answers. They couldn't fight their way through because this world was different. It was a world that fed off of emotions, dreams, and memories...  _Strong emotions_... It was her strong emotions that got them ensnared with Tilus in the first place... Lucy realized what she had to do.

Lucy's mind finally wandered to the one conclusion that she did not want to make. The painful truth she didn't want to admit to anyone.

"Sting..." Lucy said gasping for breath. "I choose Sting."

Tilus' grip around Lucy's neck loosened and she fell to the ground. Natsu looked at her with wide eyes.

Lucy remained crumpled on the ground as tears steadily pushed their way through the back of her tightly shut eyes. "I'm sorry, Natsu..." Lucy croaked. "I'm sorry, Natsu..." she croaked. "I love you. Without a doubt, I love you. I think I loved you since the beginning... All I ever wanted was to be with you..."

Natsu walked up to her and pulled her up gently and held her in his arms.

"This whole time I've been telling myself that whatever I have with Sting is only temporary. I was just being with him because I was lonely and nothing more... But when you kissed me the first time, I think I knew it was already too late... I'm not in love with Sting, but my heart was already moving on..." Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu, holding him as tightly as she could. Her sobbing became louder as it sank in that she was finally confessing to Natsu what she'd been holding back for a long time. "I'm sorry, Natsu... I've been stringing both of you along all this time... I just... I just didn't want to let you go... But I also don't want to string you two along... I need to stand by the choices I've made. I'm not asking you to wait for me if things don't work out with Sting. I don't deserve that..." Lucy paused, the vulnerability in her voice was clear. "I just hope we can still be friends..."

Natsu continued to embrace Lucy. The feel of her small, shaking body against his chest made his heart sank. Was he disappointed? Yes. He was finally getting used to the idea of Lucy as something more than a friend and now he has to go back to holding off. And on top of that, he still doesn't like that it's Sting, of all people, that she's choosing to stick by. Natsu can tell when he's being shafted... But he could never get himself to blame Lucy.

Of course he forgives her.

"We'll always be friends, Lucy," Natsu said without flinching. He pulled back to look Lucy in the face. His hand reached up to wipe away a tear. "No matter what... And I won't wait for you, if that's what you want... But the second he even thinks about hurting you, I'll kill him."

Lucy pulled out of Natsu's hug, smiling through her tears.

"Thank you," were the last words she said before everything was enveloped by darkness.


	13. Memories of Her

Sting woke up from his state of unconsciousness to the sight of Tilus standing above him malevolently. A vague smile crept about Tilus' lips as it looked at Sting with its pitch black eyes.

"What do you want?" Sting asked bitterly.

Sting stood up, surprised by the slightest bit of resistance from his own body. Tilus said nothing. It continued to watch Sting intently. Images of Lucy flashed suddenly through his mind, catching Sting off guard. Though Tilus continued to do nothing but look at Sting, Sting felt his frustration mount, though it was unclear even to Sting why he was frustrated.

" _Do you understand the nature of this world?_ " Tilus asked, its dual voice echoing in the sky, though its mouths didn't move. " _The connection between your emotions and your physical state is strong. Stronger, even, than your two companions._ "

More flashes of Lucy forced their way into Sting's mind. Images of the recent past. Sting with Lucy, Lucy standing alone, Lucy speaking to Natsu...

"I'll ask you again, what do you want?" Sting asked feeling all the more agitated.  
" _Emotions that go on unchecked can be the most dangerous..._ " Tilus said. " _You may not acknowledge them, but I can clearly see it._ "

Sting did not like the look on Tilus' face: all-knowing and in control. The images of Lucy began to break into fragments of actual memories. Was this Tilus' doing? Sting wasn't sure what Tilus was capable of, but he could tell that Tilus was powerful, especially in this world.

" _It's in your facial expressions..._ "

Tilus didn't move, but Sting could feel the being's presence coming closer to him. Images of Lucy flashed in his mind again. She was wearing a red dress... Sting backed away, feeling physically heavy as he did so. Sting got an unpleasant feeling being near this deity. The way its pitch black eyes gazed at him made him feel like it knew everything about him. Though Tilus hadn't moved in all this time, Sting was overcome with a sense of danger. And he didn't like it. Reactively, Sting dashed forward to strike at Tilus, but his movements felt heavy, like he was being weighed down.

" _It's in your body language..._ "

Spider webs shot at Sting from all directions, wrapping around his limbs, neck, and torso. …Sting could see Lucy dancing among a crowd... Feeling acutely frustrated, Sting swung his arms and legs wildly, trying to break free of the webs. His movements caused the webs to wind so tightly around him that it shredded through his shirt and into his skin. Tiny streams of blood emerged from the cuts. His body stopped moving. He was exhausted. The tightness of the webs felt like any further movement would cause the strands to slice his body into one hundred different pieces. Sting collapsed to his knees with the webs holding his upper body up. He looked up at Tilus, who had barely moved from its spot.

" _And it's in your memories..._ " Tilus said, drawing Sting's gaze into its eyes.

Tilus eyes widened. The blackness of Tilus' eyes expanded, covering the whites of its eyes and eventually into Sting consciousness. Tilus arms extended around him, webs shooting out. Images and fragments of his memories came at him like a whirlwind. Tired, weak, and held down by a flurry of emotions, Sting could feel Tilus penetrating his mind, reaching for his memories. He could already smell the scent of alcohol in the musty air of the club...

* * *

Crocus had a number of inns, a handful of standalone bars, but only one club. It wasn't a great looking place, but there were booths for sitting, a well manned bar, and arguably the best music selection in all of Fiore. The first floor housed the main bar, a few regular booths, and the largest dance floor. The second floor had mainly VIP booths and a smaller bar.

As a repeat winner of the Grand Magic Games, Sting and other members of Sabertooth were entitled to free access to the second floor and all the drinks he could ever want. Sting had been hanging around on the second floor in a VIP booth for the past few hours. Rogue, Frosh, and Lector were with him, but they left after just an hour. Sting, not wanting to return to the inn quite yet, stayed for a while longer. He wanted to finish a few more drinks first.

Sitting alone, it didn't take Sting long to feel bored and perhaps a little restless. He was buzzed, but with Rogue gone, that light feeling didn't seem to matter. Halfway through his drink, he leaned over to peer at the dance area on the first floor. It was crowded that night, but it wasn't hard to spot her among the anonymous faces of less interesting people.

He could identify her by her features: blonde hair, brilliant brown eyes. As far as Sting could tell, she was on her "A" game that night. She was gorgeous with her tight, deep red dress, matching heels, and a light layer of makeup. Men around her looked at her with appreciative eyes, which she was aware of, but she didn't seem to care about. The men on the first floor were hardly worth her time, Sting thought amused. After watching her for a few moments, it crossed his mind that  _he_ was worth her time. The more Sting thought about it, the more he began liking the idea. He made his way down.

Some of the other women on the dance floor gave him a few appreciative glances. A few even turned towards him in an attempt to dance with him, but he gave each of them a dismissive pat on the shoulder, letting them know he was moving on.

Sting made it to her. He noted that Natsu was decidedly absent.

"I like the way you dance," he said, deepening his voice just a little bit.

She said something to him, though he wasn't listening. He just watched her, eyes fixed on her as she moved to the music. The alcohol lingering in his body let him cut loose a little bit. He started dancing. She didn't quite look at him the way the other women did, but she started moving with him, in response to him. He in turn was responding to her body movements. She danced flirtatious and he found her all the more enticing. He let her know that he was into her and he didn't let her go if he could help it. She didn't try to leave.

Following the last song, the owners gave the patrons a twenty minute warning. She sighed audibly. She walked over to a column, leaned her back against it, sliding her body down to the ground so that she could sit. Sting watched her as she sat there for a long time. She somehow looked a little defeated.

"Hey," Sting said. "At least sit on a seat."  
"It doesn't really matter, this place is going to close in a few minutes," she said tiredly.

Sting watched her close her eyes. He could tell she was tired, but she didn't look like she wanted to leave.

"Got nowhere to go? Geez, is Fairy Tail that cheap?"  
"I've got a room to sleep in, for your information," she said slightly annoyed. "I just don't want to go back there."  
"Is that so?" Sting said questioningly. "So what are you going to do?"  
"I dunno, wander around until morning?"  
Sting snorted in response, but he realized that she wasn't necessarily joking. "You're serious, aren't you?"

She didn't say or do anything in response. She looked like she just wanted to sleep anywhere but Fairy Tail's inn.

"Come with me, then," Sting said, surprising himself for suggesting it on instinct. He pulled her up by the arm. She stood up with wobbly legs, looking at him closely. She squinted her eyes at him as though she were trying to figure something out.

"What?" Sting asked.  
"... Nothing," she answered.  
"The inn I'm staying at is on the other side of town," Sting said. "You can rest there for the night."  
"Why would I want to go with you?"  
"Because I'm strong, handsome, and from the strongest guild in Fiore."  
She scoffed out a laugh in response. "I know some people who would say otherwise."  
"You're telling me there's someone stronger and more handsome than me?" Sting said jokingly.  
"Fairy Tail is the strongest guild in Fiore," she stated.

Sting decided not to get into with Lucy about their guilds. She was obviously too tired and still a little tipsy. The owners started telling people to leave. He tugged at her to indicate that they were going outside, but she wasn't moving.

"Hey, we need to leav-"  
"Do you even know my name?" she asked suddenly.  
Sting paused. For some reason he was caught off guard by that question. "Of course I do."  
"It's Lucy," she said. "I want to be sure that you at least know my name."

Sting looked at her for a moment before guiding her towards the door again. "My inn is on the other side of Crocus," Sting said. "Everyone in Sabertooth is probably asleep right now, so no one is going to know you came by."

Lucy didn't seem to care either way. She just wanted to stay away from Honeybone and get some sleep.

Sting hailed a carriage to take them to his inn. Lucy slept through the ride. Sabertooth's inn was located on a narrow back road that most carriages couldn't roll through, so there was about a ten minute walk from where they were dropped off on the main road. Sting had Lucy lean on him for support as he paid the carriage. He moved towards the direction of the inn, but found that Lucy was unwilling to move with her feet.

"Give me a break," Sting said, rolling his eyes. Sting hoisted her up onto his back and began walking the short distance back to his inn. Lucy barely held onto him as he walked, but at least she wasn't too heavy.

The smell of earthened fruit came wafting towards Sting's nose. He hadn't noticed in the smoky, sweaty club, but Lucy's scent was really pleasant.

When they arrived at the inn, Sting stopped by the check in desk to request a room with a larger bed. His current room had a twin sized bed and a couch, but he hated sleeping on couches. If Lucy didn't like that they were going to share a bed, she could sleep on the couch. Or she can leave.

Sting carried her to the room and laid her on the bed. He removed her shoes before covering her with the blanket. Lucy groaned, but seemed to appreciate having soft to lay on. Sting sat next to her on the bed, examining her her face closely. Funny how he kept bumping into her. Sure, he was following her a little bit when they met at the library... But it was pure coincidence that he saw her at the club. Lucy acts annoyed initially, but somehow Sting didn't feel like she hated him.

Sting removed his shirt as he preferred to sleep without a shirt on. As he got into the bed he noted how much warmer it felt with another body there. It was kind of comfortable. Sting fell asleep.

Thirty minutes later he woke up to the feel of Lucy tossing and turning next to him. He could tell she was restless. Based on her constant sighing, she obviously had something on her mind.

"What's wrong?" Sting asked. "I can't sleep with you moving around like that."

There was a long pause. Lucy was thinking of a response.

"It's Natsu," Lucy said. "I think he dumped me."  
"You guys were together?"  
"No," Lucy said. "But I really like him. I've dropped hints before. I even told him directly that I wanted to be his girlfriend, but he doesn't seem interested."  
"That's too bad."  
"It is. I came out with Cana to get my mind off of him, but here I am talking about him with stranger," Lucy laughed.  
"You kind of know me. We talked at the library."  
"I just know your name, the guild you came from, and that Fairy Tail and Sabertooth don't really mix."  
"But here you are."  
"Here I am," Lucy said with a defeated smile.

Sting was wide awake now. As far as he could tell, so was Lucy. He got out of bed and pulled out a bottle of wine.

"You sound like you could use a cup or two," he said gesturing to the bottle.  
"Maybe," Lucy said sitting up accepting a cup as he sat next to her with a cup of his own.  
"So what about you?" Lucy asked, her head tilting in curiosity. "Girlfriend?"  
"None," Sting said. "Girls come and go, but I don't tend to settle down."  
"Figures."

Lucy took a sip from her wine glass. It was emptying out faster than she realized. It wasn't that long before she was pouring herself more.

"Whatever it is that you're assuming about me is wrong," Sting said, not surprised by Lucy's response.  
"Aren't you being a little defensive?" Lucy asked, swirling the red liquid in her glass around.  
"Most girls have weird expectations about relationships. Say what you will about Fairy Tail, but I'm part of what's considered the strongest guild in in Fiore and I work damn hard for that spot. Ordinary girls don't understand that. They get mad once they realize I don't have that much time to devote to them. Then leave eventually."  
"How do you know you're not wrong? Maybe you weren't spending enough time with them."  
"Could be, but the girls we're talking about left before we could work it out," Sting said drinking from his wine glass.

Lucy didn't look at Sting, but he could tell that she was thinking about what he said.

"Guess I don't know that much about you," Lucy admitted.  
"No, you don't," Sting confirmed. "Most of them were trash, anyway."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh. She put down her glass so she could pour herself more wine. They drank in silence, but they were okay with that. Talking wasn't the point. Sting lost count on how many cups each of them had.

"Am I wrong for being mad at Natsu for not understanding I want more from him?" Lucy asked suddenly. "I've been thinking about this... I want to have sex sometimes, dammit! I'm a healthy, young woman and I think I look pretty good. Am I just not good enough to get his hormones going?"  
"With breasts as large as yours, I don't see how that can be possible."  
"Gee, thanks," Lucy hung head, which eventually rolled onto Sting's shoulder. "I can't believe I'm telling you all of this. It could just be the wine talking... And maybe..." Lucy sighed. "Maybe I just don't care tonight."

Sting pour each of them another glass of the wine from the now empty bottle. They clinked their glasses against each other in honor of the failures of romantic relationships. Lucy seemed to be in a slightly better mood.

"Do you want have sex with me, then?" Sting asked.  
"What?!" Lucy said.  
"You heard me," Sting said. "I'm a healthy and handsome young man. I've got no girlfriend, you've got no boyfriend. It doesn't have to be complicated. We don't have to call it comfort sex or pity sex. We can just call it sex. You might forget about Natsu and we both end up feeling good."  
"That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard," Lucy said laughing. "I'm almost interested."

Sting could see that Lucy surprised herself by what she just said, but she didn't take it back. Sting himself was pretty surprised. He didn't intend on having sex with Lucy when he brought her in... He wasn't sure what he was intending, really. Things are coming out of his mouth before he could think about it. He wouldn't be surprised if Lucy decided to leave right then.

Lucy just looked at him in a way that he wasn't used to. It didn't seem like she was looking at an idealized image of him. She wasn't looking at him as THE Sting Eucliffe, one of the strongest mages of the strongest guild, Sabertooth. She was looking at him the way an ordinary woman would like at an ordinary man. Without the pretenses, Sting almost felt vulnerable.

"Just tonight, then," Lucy said in a whisper. "Only because I don't care tonight."

She leaned in and kissed him.

* * *

Sting found himself wrapped tightly in a number of Tilus' arms. The webs that wrapped around Sting's body connected back to Tilus. Glowing, the webs were draining Sting of his energy through his memories. Sting was forced to relive those memories of Lucy. All the associated emotions that he spent a lot of time denying came flooding through him with such force that he felt physically weak from the weight of it.

That night when he brought her back from the club, she opened up to him when she started talking about Natsu. Sting didn't do or say much in return, but it seemed like just being there and listening helped her feel a little better. And oddly enough, Sting felt  _good_  about it. Coming from a guild where friendship meant nothing compared to the strength of its individual members, it was  _refreshing_ to be depended on, even if it was for a brief moment.

He found himself seeking her out more. Sure, there was a lot of physical attraction going on, but somewhere in the back of his mind Sting actually  _liked_ Lucy. He liked being with her. If she just wanted to to get together just for sex, he was okay with that because he got to be with her. He just ran with it.

Then Natsu started responding to Lucy's feelings. Lucy started spending more time with Natsu again while avoiding Sting. When Lucy refused to sleep with Sting, Sting realized how weak his relationship to her actually was. Compared to the history and connection that existed between Lucy and Natsu, Sting had very little with Lucy. Compared to the look in her eyes when she gazed at Natsu, the looks she gave to Sting were nothing. As far as Lucy was concerned, what they did have was mostly physical. Nothing more, nothing less.

But again, Sting just ran with it. Whatever yearning, affection, trust, companionship, disappointment, hurt, sadness that would have come to Sting if he did try to get with her never came to pass. He told himself and everyone else who asked that their arrangement had no strings attached. He didn't expect or want more from Lucy any more than what Lucy expected or wanted from him. That's what he told himself and eventually he believed it.

Tilus' words echoed in Sting's mind:  _Emotions that go on unchecked can be the most dangerous..._

Who was he kidding? He wanted her. He wanted all of her. He wanted every inch of her body to belonged to him. He wanted her smiles, her pouts, her tears. He wanted her to laugh with him, to banter with him, to argue with him. He wanted her to show him everything about her because if he had the chance, he would become addicted to her. Sting knew he probably wouldn't cherish Lucy the way Natsu would. But Sting wasn't Natsu. Whatever relationship he would have with Lucy would be different. And who knows? Maybe it would be better.

He may not have that chance, though. All those emotions he wasn't going to risk feeling-yearning, affection, trust, companionship, disappointment, hurt, sadness-was hitting him hard now and he was too weak to fight them off. Sting could feel Tilus' grip around him tighten. His energy was drained. He had very little strength left. He was hardly able to put up a fight... Is this how Tilus does it? Target the people who don't know how to deal with their emotions and strike them when they're weakest? Sting could feel himself beginning to lose consciousness...

_Was this the end?_

Sting closed his eyes. He could hear Lucy's voice calling out to through the distance. Another dream? A memory? Everything was going black again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These last few chapters are the hardest ones to write. I'm still not sure if I got this one right. Hope you enjoyed this one. One more chapter to go!


	14. The Real Thing

Lucy opened her eyes with a quick gasp for breath. The last thing she remembered was resolving things with Natsu before everything went black. Everything was still black pitch, except for a single spotlight shining above the bed she was in now. It was a large bed with a sea of white sheets. She was lying naked underneath the sheets. Next to her on his side was Sting.

 _Another dream?_  Lucy thought as she noted that she was having that same experience of seeing and experiencing what was going on without being able to actively control herself. However, she is much more aware about this being a dream and of Tilus' involvement in it. This dream does not feel as real as the other ones. Everything was hazy. She knew it was Sting who was with her, but his features were blurred out. This set up felt like a thin façade compared to the other dreams.

Sting was watching her as she lay in bed. One hand idly twirled a finger through her hair. He shuffled around from underneath the sheets so he could hold himself on top of her. He leaned down to kiss her.

 _This is a setup_ , Lucy thought to herself.  _We need to break out of it!_ Lucy consciously tried to get her body to move, but it didn't work. Her body felt heavy and was moving of its own accord. She decided to try to verbally get Sting's attention. It didn't work. While she couldn't move her body because it felt heavy, she had a hard time speaking because it was physically painful. It felt like all of the nerves involved in speaking were wrapped in thorns and trying to talk was like grabbing onto them.

Lucy could deal with pain, though. She willed herself to power through it.

"S-ss-..ting" Lucy said, her face contorting with pain. It was physically difficult for Lucy to speak the words she consciously wanted to say, but at least she knows it's possible.

At first Sting didn't seem to notice. He pulled the sheets up off of her, trailing kisses across her body. His voice was whispering something to her. She couldn't tell what, but she could tell the tone was supposed to be romantic… It was kind of nice, Lucy had to admit. If she let the dream go on, then… Lucy mentally, shook her head. Now is not the time.

"Wake… u-... u… up," Lucy said forcing out her words.

There was a long, protracted pause. Not just a pause for silence, but an actual pause. The world just froze. Sting's features became a little more defined. She could see clarity come through in his eyes.

"T-this... i-isn't… real…" Sting said as he struggled to speak his own words, disappointment ringing clearly from his voice. "This… re-ship isn't… real..."  
The last sentence was barely audible. "Maybe not," Lucy answered.  
"Then let's keep dreaming..." Sting whispered.

Lucy eyes widened at Sting's last comment... For a brief second she saw into Sting's emotions. There was regret and a little bit of sadness. Lucy wanted to reach out to him with her own hand, with a deliberate touch. The weight of her body was immense, but the desire to touch Sting was strong. Her hand began to move.

Suddenly, the scenery around them began to crack into pieces, which all fell to the ground. Behind the façade of the dream was the rocky terrain of Tilus' realm. Lucy looked around, feeling disoriented. These dream-like scenarios seem to be one of Tilus' main powers. However, as soon as Lucy began to realize that it wasn't real, she could feel the heavy hand of Tilus' physical hold on her lift. Even within the dream, she felt like she still had control.

Lucy looked towards Tilus who stood ten feet away from her. Sting was behind Tilus, trapped in a mess of webs that was cutting into his skin. Lucy gasped at the sight of Sting so greatly weakened. His body was bruised and bloody. Lucy wasn't sure if he was even conscious.

"You are surprisingly resilient against our charms…" Tilus said, both faces raising an eyebrow. "Is this really the man you choose?"  
Lucy looked at Tilus suspiciously, already expecting some kind of trick coming her way. "He is," Lucy replied.  
"Are you sure?"

As the last word of Tilus' question came out, the being sent a flurry of visions into Lucy's mind. There were flashes of their past: the day they met, the day he was there to catch her as she jumped from Phantom Lord's headquarters, Natsu's attempt to comfort her the day her father died, the day Natsu first kissed her. The images carried the weight of their friendship, of their bond. She could feel it. Then she saw images of her and Natsu living together happily. Their home was hot mess from Natsu's living habits, but at the same time it was very warm and comfortable. Despite the many crazy and frustrating things Natsu does, Lucy could feel warmth and love with him.

"Are you sure?" Tilus asked again.

Tilus showed her what she was giving up. That happy home with Natsu was a potential future. A beautiful future.

The implication is that Lucy can back out with Sting. She could leave Sting here and be with Nastu. Lucy couldn't deny that she didn't entirely want to let go of Natsu. She was giving up a lot in choosing Sting. A history, a deep bond. All for a guy who she doesn't know well and who is absolutely nothing like Natsu.

It's very possible that she made a mistake.

The warmth and the love of those visions still lingered in her chest. She could almost smell the scent of burning embers.

Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

No… She wasn't going to get tricked by Tilus who was probably going to target even the slightest bit of doubt in her. Lucy made her choice and she's going to stick with it, right choice or no.

Then Lucy realized something. Those visions of Natsu were just images. They weren't like the dreams where her body was actually experiencing it through all senses. Sure, she felt a rush of emotions, but the images were static. She could clearly tell that what she saw wasn't real.

Earlier, Tilus tried to tantalize Lucy into a dream with Sting. The dream with Sting, while less real than previous dreams, was certainly more visceral than these images of Natsu. Sting was still here with Tilus… Could this mean Natsu returned to the real world? And more importantly, that he was safe?

"Where is Natsu?" Lucy asked.

Tilus' silence indicated to Lucy that her suspicions are true. Tilus looked at Lucy with that same unnerving gaze, but it was different. The expression on Tilus' face wasn't different, but, somehow, Lucy didn't feel vulnerable. She didn't feel like Tilus could see into her past or tell how she's feeling... In fact it almost seemed like Tilus was deliberating, trying to figure out what to do next.

Suddenly, Tilus lashed out at Lucy with its arms extended towards her. Reactively, Lucy ducked, narrowly avoiding the attack. Lucy quickly shuffled to the side, watching Tilus retract its arms. She was ready for another attack. She noticed that her movements in general weren't as heavy as they have been in this world.

What was Tilus really capable of? If Tilus was really all powerful in this world, then what's stopping the deity from just taking her prisoner right now? Tilus feeds on strong emotions and has been targeting all of the guilt and desire circulating between Lucy, Sting, and Natsu. All of the dreams and visions they've been having manipulates and toys with these emotions, which in turn physically weakens the people who gives in.

Lucy was sure that Natsu was safe because they resolved things between them. Sting is in a weakened state right now because as far as he's concerned, things are unresolved. Lucy didn't even know what was going on in his mind, but if the look on his face earlier was any indication, she knew she had to save him.

Lucy's heart was set and her mind clear. Her only focus now was on saving Sting. She's smart and is emotionally mature. The blonde mage gained some confidence in those thoughts. Then something interesting happened. Lucy's whip materialized in Lucy's hand. She looked over to Tilus, who saw that Lucy was now armed. The expression on Tilus' faces didn't change.

"Will you fight?" Tilus asked. "Your two friends were powerless against us."  
"I need to do something," Lucy said with clear resolve. "I need to save Sting."

Lucy felt her confidence and strength swell as she stood there challenging Tilus directly. More and more, she felt like she could take Tilus on. She isn't as physically strong as Sting or Natsu, nor can she even use her magic, but the rules of this world are different. And really, all she could think of now was saving Sting.

She dashed forward, full speed. "Lucy kick!" she yelled thrusting her right foot into the female portion of Tilus' face. There was a strong possibility that the kick wasn't going to land because Lucy wasn't particularly talented with physical combat. Yet, surprisingly, the kick landed and knocked Tilus back a few inches. Tilus reached out at Lucy with its arms again, this time Lucy dodged it easily. She jumped back and lashed her whip towards Tilus, hitting away Tilus' arms as its tried to attack her while landing a few hits to Tilus' body.

The spider webs that had caused so much trouble before were noticeably missing. Tilus' powers were clearly weakening and waning as Lucy became more confident. It was clear that Tilus was losing its hold on Lucy, in fact Tilus has no hold on her at all. She was free of the things that was holding her back and weighing her down.

After more exchanges that were mostly in Lucy's favor, the stellar spirit mage could see the deity visibly wearing down. She caught Tilus' necks in the grip of her whip. Holding the whip tight, she roughly pulled Tilus towards her and gave the hardest punch she could into the center of the being's chest area. There was a rumble in the distance. The blow caused Tilus' two upper bodies to split. In between them was an object embedded in a nest of spider webs and blood. Lucy squinted to get a good look. The object was oddly familiar.

" _Speculation on the History of Fiore_..." Lucy read out loud.

Lucy thought back to the last time she saw that object. She brought it with her to read while she was on that uncomfortable mission with Sting and Natsu. She could hardly get herself to look at the book with all the tension that was going on then... Tilus must have gotten a hold of it while they were traveling back to Magnolia.

"Why do you have that? Was there something special about this book?" Lucy asked in as threatening a voice as she could manage.  
"No," Tilus answered. "It's just an object that had personal significance to you. We bound ourselves to that object and it became the physical link to your heart and those connected to your heart."  
"So if I take the book back, this link, the hold you have over me and Sting will be destroyed?"

Tilus didn't answer. It only looked at her. Lucy decided to test her theory by reaching in and pulling the book out. The book was connected to the insides of Tilus' body. As Lucy tugged, she could see the deity contort its faces in pain. Lucy didn't care if she was hurting Tilus, she just wanted to save Sting and leave. Just as she pulled a majority of the book away, she noticed Tilus give a vague smile. Lucy stopped.

"This world," Tilus breathed out. "This is my world... I created it. Even I do not know what happens to this world without me..."

Lucy thought about the implications of what Tilus just stated. If she destroys Tilus, or at least the link Tilus has to her, she may end up destroying the only known way out of the world. Or it could be a bluff.

"I've got the upperhand," Lucy warned. "Either let me and Sting go or die or… whatever it is deities do."

Tilus laughed out loud. It was a crazed, uncontrolled laugh. "I will not give him up..."

Without lingering on the possibilities any longer, she yanked the book out of Tilus' chest. The deity screeched in pain. Lucy watched as Tilus' body turned into dust, which dispersed into the howling wind.

* * *

Natsu's eyes opened slowly. Through his blurred vision he could recognize the ceiling as being the spare room in Fairy Tail's main building. He sat himself up. His body felt tired and sore. Ahead of him were Gray and Erza who were watching him anxiously.

"Natsu," Erza said. "Are you okay?"

Natsu looked around him, slowly piecing together what had just happened. The last thing he recalled was speaking to Lucy about who she wanted to be with. He looked to Lucy who lay beside him and then to Sting who lay beside her. They were still asleep.

"Yeah," Natsu said. "I think I'll be okay..."

Natsu looked back to Lucy and Sting, wondering why they hadn't woken up yet and if they were going to be alright. His eyes widened when he noticed their bodies begin to flicker. Scrambling from out of his bed, Natsu tried to grab hold of Lucy, but it was too late. Her body faded away, Sting followed after her.

* * *

From the distance Lucy could hear a low rumbling across the land.

"Lucy," said a voice behind her.

She turned to find Sting sitting up from the ground a few feet away from her. He was in as bad a shape as she was, possibly worse. Looking down at him, Lucy wondered exactly what she should do next. Isn't this where they have their tearful reunion?

Instead, for some reason, she let out a long, annoyed-sounding sigh.

"It's nice to see you too," Sting said.

This is what a relationship with Sting is like, Lucy reminded herself. She smiled.

"I think I owe you an apology," Lucy said. "All this time, I've been using the word 'mistake' when talking about you... And... You're not entirely a mistake for me… I just wanted you to know that I like you. As a person. "  
"You did all that just to tell me you like me?" Sting laughed sarcastically.  
"Don't be stupid. I'm saying that I don't think of you as a booty call or as a Natsu-substitute... I just... I like you, alright?"

A sly smile slid across Sting's face. Lucy liked that look, she admitted to herself.

"I'm glad," Sting said, looking at her. "I'll accept your apology if you ask me out on a date."  
"Oh, come on Sting, stop kidding around," Lucy said. "We don't even know how we're going to get out of here."  
"I'm serious. There's nothing more important than this, right now. I'm not going to put my heart out there by asking you out when I'm not even sure you're completely over Natsu," Sting insisted. "Ask me."  
"How do I know you're not just messing with me?"  
"Why would I mess with you?"  
"Because you love messing with me."  
"Oh, right…" Sting said smiling sheepishly.  
Lucy rolled her eyes. She sighed again, though Sting could clearly see that she was smiling. "Dinner, just you and me. Somewhere nice," Lucy put her hands on her hips. "I'm not paying."  
"You drive a hard bargain, Lucy Heartfilia," Sting said shaking his head. "I accept."

There was something in the expression his face made as he said that. There was no sarcasm in his words and that sly smile was replaced with a genuine smile.

Lucy let down her guard. There was no guilt involved, there was no Natsu lingering in the back of her head. She was free to have Sting. Tears finally welled up in her eyes as she rushed down to him, kissing him as she tackled him. Sting fell onto his back from the rushed embrace. He wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her back. They kissed each other desperately. Blood, sweat, and dust mixed into their mouths, but somehow they didn't care. At this moment, both of them, were at the height of happiness. They felt light and free.

Without the two noticing, the world around them began to rumble. Everything became enveloped in a white light before collapsing into pieces. The familiar sound of the Fairy Tail guild hall filtered slowly into her ears.

* * *

Sting sat alone in a dimly lit, classy looking restaurant. He sat at a large, circular booth hidden towards the back. He wore a dark grey dress vest over a white button up shirt with grey pants to match. A black tie and pocket square accented the outfit. He couldn't quite make out the faces of the staff or other patrons. They were all quiet blurs and shadows hanging in the periphery of his vision. But he didn't really care about the other people, he was only waiting for one person. As that one person entered te restaurant, she stood clearly in his eyes: Lucy.

Lucy wore a black dress. It was a long, halter top dress that exposes her back and high riding slit over her right leg. Her hair was curled and pulled up into a messy bun. A string of pearls adorned her neck. She was sexy, she was elegant.

Sting had been waiting for her. Lucy smiled at him as she sat down next to him. He put his arm over her shoulder possessively and gave her a kiss on the lips. It was a slightly more passionate kiss than was appropriate for a public space, but he didn't care.

Lucy's body was turned towards Sting, her right leg crossing over her left. As their waiter approached, Sting let his hand drop to her exposed thigh. He had the slightest sly smile as he watched her face light up with surprise, briefly. There was the tiniest playful suggestion in his touch and Lucy picked up on it loud and clear. Sting didn't move his hand as the waiter stood there to take their order. The waiter couldn't see Sting's hand or Lucy's leg from beneath the tablecloth. Sting let his hand slide up her thigh, just a little. Lucy blushed, but continued to give her order in as casual a manner as possible. Sting would laugh about this later, she knew.

They ordered food. Delicious food with delicious wine. They leaned into each other, whispered things to each other. Sexy things, sweet things. Lucy looked at Sting. She looked into his eyes, she smiled genuinely. He could tell she wanted to be there. He wanted her to be there. They chatted. He told her she looked gorgeous.

After dinner, Sting stepped out of the booth and held out his hand for Lucy to take. As she stood next to him, he lightly pressed the tips of his fingers against her on her upper back, gesturing towards where their ride was waiting for them. As they walked outside, his hand slid down the length of her spine before resting at her spine's base. In general terms, it was nothing. He just had his hand on her back as a way of guiding her towards the chauffeur. They were fully clothed and they weren't doing anything overtly sexual. But Lucy knew exactly the kind of games Sting liked to play. That touch, that electrifying touch, going down her exposed was his way of teasing her for wearing revealing clothing. Sting liked it, though, and he often took advantage of Lucy's skimpy clothing in small ways. He was sure she dressed like this on purpose.

As they sat in the back of the ride, Sting draped his arm over Lucy's bare shoulders. He held her close to him.

"Having a good time?" he asked.  
"I'm having a great time," Lucy said.

Lucy turned so she could wrap her arms around his body, nuzzling her face in his body heat. Sting isn't perfect, but right now she was happy. Truly happy.

It was like a dream.

_The End  
_

 


End file.
